Some of the newest first issues

ALIAS: RED BAND #1 by Sam Humphries and Geraldo Borges. Jessica Jones is back and, right off the bat, she is in a world of trouble. She has closed her agency, at the insistence of her husband, Mayor Luke Cage, but she stumbles onto a grisly murder that ends up with her getting photographed b y a Bugle photographer. That leads to a major argument with Luke and, ultimately, puts her into a partnership with Typhoid Mary that may result in issues down the road, as illustrated in the book’s final page. I am not a fan of the art but the story is MOSTLY good. I do, however, have an issue with Humphries making Typhoid Mary sounding like an Etsy version of Harley Quinn.

ALICE FOREVER AFTER #1 by Dan Panosian and Giorgio Spalletta. Following on the events from ALICE EVER AFTER, it has been years since Alice has made her way out of Wonderland and is now living her best life with her daughter. But just because she has left Wonderland does not mean that Wonderland has ceased to exist. And that is where the Cheshire Cat comes into play with machinations involving Alice’s daughter. I loved the original run by Panosian and this picks up where it left off and, if you loved the previous series, you will love this.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN/VENOM: DEATH SPIRAL #1 by Joe Kelly, Al Ewing, Charles Soule, and Jesus Saiz. Marvel unleashes another far-reaching nine part crossover, running through Spiderverse books. Someone is killing off random people with names like Reilly, Brock, Parker, and maybe even Watson. Who is Spiral and why are they killing people to get to Eddie, Peter, Ben and Mary Jame. That’s the mystery. The story plays out nicely with the various deaths being woven into the story. And Saiz’s art, as always, slaps!

BLEEDING HEARTS #1 by Deniz Camp and Stepian Morian.DC Vertigo is officially back and BLEEDING HEARTS  is their first ‘official’ book, although THE NICE HOUSE BY THE SEA now also falls under that umbrella. This is a zombie story with a twist. In a world where intelligent zombies continue to hunt, one zombie has now begun to develop a human heart and feelings, making it tough for him to do what he needs to do but also have regrets about it. This is a wonderful tale with heart…pun intended…and soul amongst its’ humor. Camp crafts a wonderful tale and Morian’s art is very reminiscent of Skottie Young’s style but with more depth thanks to colors from Matt Hollingsworth. This may be my favorite of new releases.

BUTCH: A HATE COMIC #1 by Peter Bagge. I’m a longtime fan of HATE, going all the way back to issue #1 in 1990 and even NEAT STUFF earlier. Bagge resurrected HATE as a series of Annuals before changing formats and releasing HATE REVISITED. This is the next chapter, following up on the existing story, where Butch Bradley faces jail time for an assault. HATE is not for everyone but it has a wonderful wit to it and if, like me, you’ve followed the exploits of the Bradley family, it is essential.,

DEAD TEENAGERS #1 by Jude Ellison S. Doyle and Caitlyn Yarsky. Welcome to another one of those books that, because of low print runs and LCS orders, has become one of those books that speculators love to swoop down on, thinking they are going to finance their kid’s college tuition with it. And yes: that is a thing once again, just like killed the business in the 90’s. But let’s put that aside, shall we. If you have ever seen the movie HAPPY DEATH DAY…and you should…then you might see where this book is going as a bunch of teenagers relive their deaths in various GROUNDHOG DAY scenarios. But then there is a cliffhanging twist and it changes everything. The story is a fun mystery ride and the art is clean and reminds me of Jaime Hernandez’s style. If you’re a Horror fan, grab this…if you can find it!

D’ORCS #1 by Brett Beau. What do you get when you have a main character who is half Dwarf and half Orc? You get D’Orc! In this fantasy world, D’Orc is trying to get along with his magic, talking shield, and do so without killing anyone. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always go so well and now he has the head of a ghost chicken he was responsible for accidentally killing haunting him. And that’s just the beginning. If you’re a fan of I HATE FAIRYLAND, you will love this!

END OF LIFE #1 by Kyle Starks and Steve Pugh. Eddie Stallion is a hitman who screws up in a major way by accidentally robbing from a crime-boss known as The Raven. So he flees to a town of fifty called Pluto, which is where he grew up, meaning he has to reconnect with his dying father. He also reconnects with his first love; all while contract killers are chasing after him. It is a wild, funny ride that has a ton of heart built into it. This was an immediate sellout when it was released and I can see why. It’s part of the Vertigo relaunch and is highly recommended.

GENERATION X23 #1 by Jody Houser and Jacopo Camagni. This one is pretty plain and simple: Laura and her sister Gabby team up to protect mutants from hate. But that may not be as easy as it looks and when they encounter a group of teen mutants, this may quickly becoming a team-up book. It’s an okay read: nothing phenomenal but a nice chance to see the sisters together.

THE HOUSE OF LOWTHER #1 by K. Lynn Smith. This one snuck under my radar at first but was able to grab issue #1 and #2. Miss Sawyer Ellis takes a job as part of the cleaning staff for a building caring for residents with mental and physical issues. What she soon discovers is that this place is actually a residency for cryptids. Well written with artistic echoes of STRAY DOGS and FERAL. It’s in beautiful shades of black, gray and white. This is a winner and highly recommended as I feel it will touch the heartstrings as it moves along in the narrative. 

IRON MAN #1 by Joshua Williamson and Carmen Carnero. Another first issue, although its’ Legacy number is #681, and Tony is back at the helm again and reuniting, somewhat, with Pepper Potts. But during the first ever Tony Stark Awards, Madame Masque and A.I.M. show up and Iron Man goes into action. But this is all a ruse as Whitney kidnaps the award winner who she plans to use him and other s who Tony pointed out as the “best and the brightest” for her own gains. If you’re a fan of Tony, you’ll love this. The story is cohesive and the art looks amazing!

NECTAR #1 by Jeremy Robinson, Annapaola Martello, and Francesco Francini. It’s 1837 in Salem, Massachusetts and strange things are happening in the form of some extremely ravenous butterflies. And that’s just what can be gleaned from this first issue. This is another hot speculator book that people think they are getting rich on and, at the moment, they are going for some insane prices. Here’s what matters: Robinson’s tale is a great teaser for what it to come and the art is suitable. In the end, it’s a quirky Horror story so buy it for that and not the cash at the end of the rainbow.

PICK-UP #1 by Michael Coast and Felipe Cunha. This is a wonderful, oddball one-shot that is one of those ‘under the radar’ titles. A social media influence who is all about teaching men how to pick up women unknowingly captures a murder. From there, it’s a crazy wild ride to get to the finish with one helluva unexpected, almost Hitchcockian ending! It looks great and will keep you guessing until almost near the end. Highly recommended!

RIPCORD #1 by Cullen Bunn and Aneke. In the outback of Australia, a young woman named Dillon is looking for her sister who has fallen victim to a drug called Ripcord.  The drug not only alters ones’ mind but transforms their bodies as well, turning them into killers. As dedicated as she is to finding her sister, there are those who only want to attack and abuse Dillon, leading her to fight back in a violent manner. But what lurks in the outback? A well-crafted story that I THINK know where it is going, based on multiple images in the book and the cover. Either way, it looks amazing and I’m in for the ride.

SIRENS: LOVE HURTS #1 by Tini Howard and Babs Tarr. In this Black Label title, Selina, Harley, and Ivy are planning out their next caper, but Selina has also invited Dinah to be a part of their get-togethers. It is kind of tough to be criminals when you’re friends with a hero. Amongst that plot, there is a series of murders happening that may being carried out by Calendar Man. Can these four work together to solve the case without someone getting killed? A fun, non-canon story that has the vibes of the HBO Harley Quinn cartoon.

SKYCLAD #1 by David Campiti, Mary Anne Evans, and Michal Dutkiewicz. When I saw Campiti’s name attached to this title, I knew I was in for it. Campiti, over his career, has been involved with such works as HERO ALLIANCE, EXPOSURE, LOST IN SPACE, and T.H.U.N.D.E.R. AGENTS. And then add in Michal Dutkiewicz, who worked on LOST IN SPACE, WOLVERINE and more and that synched the deal. Louene owns an exclusive gentleman’s club that is part of a coven. She also was a healer sentenced to death as a witch. Now she wants to use her recognizing men’s sexual desire and uses that to take revenge, while using their energies to maintain her youth. Looks great, fun read, and recommended.

SMILE: FOR THE CAMERA #1 by Hannah Rose May and Miriana Puglia. How truly twisted is this book? Well, it starts with an airport worker jumping into a spinning jet engine with obvious results. And it goes from there with a group of fashion models. Now, I will admit it is a slow burn spinoff/prequel from the fictional SMILE world, so it may not have all the scares you would want. But I’m about to give it time to percolate. In fact, there is only one other grisly scene following the opening and that is on the final page. Designed for people into the SMILE franchise but works well as a stand-alone too.

SUPER CREEPSHOW #1 by Kieron Gillen, Ryan North, Rossi Gifford, and Derek Charm. Another rebrand leads to another mini-series. The first story features young love, drugs, and spiders. In the second story, a teenager develops super powers with horrible results. If you are a fan of the rebooted EC line, then you’re a Horror fan and will want to add this to your collection.

THE MUPPETS NOIR #1 by Roger Langridge. A book I would never even think of buying if it wasn’t for the amazing setup at last year’s Rhode Island Comic Con and the photo shoot I did with my author friend Tabitha Winters. Kermit gets bonked on the head and suddenly he dreams he is a private eye name Flip Minnow. The book is filled with a lot of in jokes and, while potentially aimed at children, has enough bits to attract longtime adult fans of the property as it is filled with so many of Henson’s cast of characters.

THE PERIL OF THE BRUTAL DARK #1 by Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips. It’s New York City in 1941 and Ezra Cain, currently a private investigator and formerly an archeology student, is tasked to track down an artifact stolen from the Museum of Natural History. The piece in question is an ancient anvil that supposedly belonged to Hephaestus. Unfortunately, a sect called the brutal Dark appear and the mystery gets incredibly deep. This is a great Noir influenced tale that blends mystery with Science Fiction. Condon and Phillips were the team responsible for both THAT TEXAS BLOOD and THE ENFIELD GANG MASSACRE and their work on those titles oozes through this book. It’s another Vertigo release and is also highly recommended.

THE PUNISHER #1 by Benjamin Percy and Jose Luis Soares. Coming directly out of the recent ‘Red Band’ series, Frank Castle is back in New York City and is seeking anyone who was connected to mind controlling him in that mini-series. He is still trying to put his mind back together and that brings him to Micro, who he believes may have had a part in it. Throw in old foes Tombstone and Jigsaw and you know this book is going to be completely unhinged. It’s a wild story and the art is killer…pun intended!

THE THING ON THE DOORSTEP #1 by Simon Birks and Willi Roberts. The book begins in 1933 with Daniel Upton murdering Edward Derby, who is secured in Arkham Sanitarium. From there, the story goes back to their first meeting in 1899 as children. Over the years, the two have a friendship, sometimes a distant one, even as Edward goes to the Miskatonic University and discovers a dark book that appears to be the Necronomicon. What has changed that caused the opening murder? We don’t know yet and I’m sure it will be revealed as the series continues. It’s a dark journey that fits into a wonderful Gothic vibe.

TIGRESS ISLAND #1 by Patrick Kindlon and Ephk. This is a weird one that is also another one of those ‘speculator specials’. Here’s the concept: a group of actresses, all of whom are down on their luck, find themselves kidnapped to an island prison run by a crazy female warden. And now they need to find a way to escape. This is a cool reimagining of the classic Exploitation ‘Women in a jungle prison’ films of the Seventies. I’m not a huge fan of the art which has a very minimal style to it, but the story is so much sexy and fun!

ULTIMATE ENDGAME #1 by Deniz Camp, Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson, and Jonas Scharf. The Maker is free and the Ultimate Universe is coming to an end. And boy: the final page is a major, unexpected twist! That’s all you need to know. If you have followed the Ultimate Universe since its’ rebirth, you will love this. If not, keep scrolling.

UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: PHANTOM OF THE OPERA #1 by Tyler Boss and Martin Simmonds. This series of mini-series continues with this interesting take on this classic tale. It has some nods to the source material while also adding some cool new twists. Ultimately, it will be about the Phantom, who may actually be a real phantom, and his love Christine, who may be just as responsible for what happens as he is. Love the story and I am a huge fan of Simmonds from his DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH work.

WOLVERINE: WEAPONS OF ARMAGEDDON #1 by Chip Zdarsky and Luca Maresca. ARMAGEDDON is supposed to be the summer crossover for Marvel and this is the first shot. Wolverine is involved in a hunt for a missing Super-Soldier and, somehow, Nuke is involved with it as is pseudo Captain America Dave Colton. Beyond that, it’s mostly a first issue set piece that will play out over the mini-series. Story is fine and the art is okay.

WADE WILSON DEADPOOL #1 by Benjamin Percy and Geoff Shaw. Everyone’s favorite ‘Merc with a Mouth is back in a new #1. And it starts with a wild, ultra-violent bang! It seems Wade is going through a bit of a mental crisis and he is just looking to feel as much pain as possible and is desperately finding a way to die. He’s back living with Blind Al and we all knows how that goes. But while contemplating his future, a letter arrives and tells him the future, meaning he isn’t ready to cash in his chips yet. Designed for Deadpool fans.

WHITE SKY #1 by William Harms and JP Mavinga. It’s a concept we have seen in everything from THE WALKING DEAD to THE LAST OF US and beyond. The world has ended and a father and his daughter are making their way through it, trying to find a place to survive. But the idea that the world ended and there are beings, possibly supernatural ones, alive out there takes the genre and twists it sideways really fast! Another speculator book with first issues going for $60 and up! The story is good and the art works well. But the hook here that sets it apart from other ‘end of the world’ books is the final few pages, setting it up for something out of the norm. Highly recommended…if you can find one!

 

X-MEN UNITED #1 by Eve L. Ewing and Tiago Palma. Welcome to Xavier Mansion 2.0. Emma, Kitty and many of the X-Men have come together with student mentors to teach a new batch of mutant students. Haven’t we been here before? Lots of complaints with this one. The art is very uneven and if I ever see Cyclops drawn so badly again, I will riot! And who are all these characters? They all seem to blend together. And why do we have a tripped out version of Lockheed that might now me named…Marigold? Oh Lord! I’m a X-Man fan going way, WAY back, but this one is hard to swallow!

DC UNIVERSE Month 98, Part 2

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #14 by Morgan Hampton, Oclair Albert and Fernando Pasarin. As Guy tells of his rise to becoming Allsight while being haunted to psychic visions of reincarnated baby emotional entities. Jessica Cruz puts him in charge of assembling a multicolor Lantern team to retrieve them. The teams are assembled and Guy’s trio goes to Biot, where they encounter a force of Manhunters. Elsewhere, Soranik returns to Korugar, where she she volunteers to be an entrant in Borga street fights, where she ends up bonding with Parallax. Meanwhile, John is dealing his dedication to duty and with Kalma Tui’s frustration over him being away so much and he agrees to take her to New Korugar.

HARLEY & IVY: LIFE & CRIMES #4 by Erica Henderson. Naked and still on the run, they eventually steal a car, with Ivy using her powers to cover herself and Harley having to make do with a used garbage bag. They eventually end up in Bensonhurst where they drop in on someone who used to help her out while she was in high school. The person turns out to be Abigail Hunkel.

HARLEY QUINN #60 by Elliot Kalan and Carlos Olivares. Harley has adopted a new persona to protect Throatcutter Hilly: Bat Quinn. This brings her into direct conflict with Penny Plunderer. She gets assistance from a superpowered Chicken Fingers, who has gained powers from the Alpha energy he got from Harley. Together they defeat the villain. In the end, Bat Harley returns home to be greeted at the door by…Harleen Quinzel?

JSA #17 by Jeff Lemire, Mark Waid, Gavin Guidry, and Joey Vazquez. Alan is being strangled by the Ultra-Humanite when he transforms into green Lantern and unleashes his power upon him. Soon, he is joined by Hawkman and Hawkwoman and the villain flees, with the heroes in pursuit. Baze, his body broken and failing, meets with Satanna, Sportsmaster, and Cyclotron and they prepare to head to Germany to meet with other Fifth Columnists. Elsewhere, The Atom and Wonder Woman arrive at Starco, finding Johnny Thunder and The Flash already there. They end up meeting up with Sandman, Hourman and the freed Amazing Man. Suddenly, they hear a ticking sound and the Starco Building is rocked by an explosion set in motion by Satanna before they left. In the backup set in the present, The Flash and Green Lantern reminisce while also mourning the loss of Wildcat. Alan’s children arrive and say they are in the process of adding heroes to the roster. That is when Stargirl and Atom Smasher arrive, saying they are ready for duty.

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #17 by Mark Waid and Clayton Henry. In Bialya, a group of terrorists are going to kill some hostages when they are interrupted by the Justice League: an armored Lex Luthor, Starro, and Giganta. Three days earlier, Blue Beetle, Red Tornado and others noticed the earth is healing and soon the heroes from the tournament arrive, fully restored.; all that is except for Superman. Many of them have seen their own vision of the future and a debate occurs on what to do with the villains who they have kept in The Phantom Zone. In Keystone City, Air Wave, Stargirl and Kid Flash try to stop Tar Pit and Girder from destroying a bridge only to learn they were trying to stabilize it, while also complaining how they should not have been imprisoned but should have been allowed to help in the tournament. Later, Batman, Wonder Woman and the Captain visit the Phantom Zone, meeting with Mon-El As they try to decide what to do with those prisoners; possibly giving them amnesty to help with a future Darkseid attack.

LOBO #1 by Skottie Young and Jorge Corona. Lobo, after having been triggered by an anti-hero movie called MURDER MOUTH AND FISTY CLAWS reality show, gets contracted for a bounty hunter job. He finds his target but, just before he is able to kill that target, he is informed that the bounty has been cancelled and Naco announces he is retiring, meaning Lobo won’t get paid. This leads him to Omni Mega+ Entertainment Corporation to collect his fee. What he discovers, after trashing the company’s security team, is that Omni Mega+ bought our Naco’s business and now they want to make Lobo the star of their new reality show.

NEW TITANS #33 by Tate Brombal and Sami Basri. It’s a great day for the Titans to enjoy friendship and coffee before they get attacked by The Fearsome Five, who they defeat. Tomorrow, another day of friendship and coffee but this time they are attacked by Terra. Every day is the same: coffee and villains, over and over. Eventually, Dick hears voices from the coffeemaker, insisting they stop drinking the coffee. Day in, day out until Dick cannot take it anymore and destroys the coffeemaker. Donna passes out and seemingly dies. That is when the New Titans, Jon Kent, Stephanie Brown, Red Devil and Wonder Girl, arrive.

NIGHTWING #136 by Dan Watters and Denis Cowan. Following the events involving the circus, Dick Grayson is like a man lost. Bludhaven, under the new mayor, has also changed, with a super highway having been built in the center of the city, with the promise that it will bring business to the city. Nightwing encounters a strange woman walking down this super highway and gives her a ride. The woman, who want to be taken to “The Crossroads” is a strange one and references how the settlers of this city killed women presumed to be witches. She pulls an unusual looking knife on him and presses it to his throat. He notices that she is bleeding from her eyes and he attempts to drive her to a hospital, which leads her to cut him and then try to take control of the car, causing a catastrophic crash that takes the lives of nine people.

POISON IVY #42 by G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara. A lot has happened since the last issue as Ivy is now Mayor Isley and her trusted team in made up of Janet, Great White Shark, Peter Undine, and Juhi. Juhi and the create she has summoned continue to plot when she realizes that the Arcane Perimeter she has set up around Ivy’s office has been breached. That is because Ivy has gotten a visit from a very angry Xylon. The creature eventual flees when Juhi arrives and exhibits her magic. In the end, Ivy is overwhelmed by the list of things she needs to do that she had promised during her campaign and she is totally broken up because what she has done has cost her Harley.

SUPERGIRL #11 by Sophie Campbell. Kara has gone to Kandor in search of Lesla where she rescues Kandorian Ryla from something called Cut: a part of Black Flame’s Science Scouts. She eventually finds Lesla and her cousin Zora: AKA The Black Flame. As she tries to take Lesla away, Lesla removes kara’s Yellow Ring of Nor-Kann and Black Flame attacks a now powerless Supergirl. During the fierce battle, Zora stabs Kara and tosses her into the deep blackness below.

SUPERMAN #36 by Joshua Williamson and Dan Mora. After breaking the fourth wall, Superboy-Prime proceeds to take out a group of super villains. He may be dreaming of becoming a Justice League member, the League is uncertain of his change of heart, based on his previous actions. Lois, who has lost her powers again, debates with Mr. Terrific, who is concerned that Superboy-Prime knows so much about their fictional lives. Lois meets with Prime, telling him he needs to do what Superman would do and insists he needs to get a job, which he does at a local comic shop. In the end, he goes to his apartment and reads comics, while dreaming of being part of a new Trinity. Unbeknownst to him, he is being watched by an old foe of Superman: Manchester Black.

SUPERMAN UNLIMITED #11 by Dan Slott and Lucas Meyer. Master Txyz, a demon from the Fourth Dimension who claims he is Jon’s archenemy,  confronts Jon, verbally badgering him as he shows him how unimportant he is to the legacy of Superman, including moments such as his captivity in Universe-3 and his journey with Joe-El. He fights back against what he is exposed to, including being attacked by dinosaurs and war planes, eventually tearing off his damaged uniform and grabbing one from one of the pilots, declaring himself to be Tomorrow Man..Txyz admits he has created a time paradox and decides to leave Jon alone, but opens a time portal as a present for Jon. Jon pulls a screaming boy from the portal and finds it is a younger version of himself still dressed as Superboy.

WONDER WOMAN #31 by Tom King and Daniel Sampere. Twenty years from now, an older, white-bearded Lex Luthor is preparing to gift the Matriarch the God Killer Sword. But he has planned well for this as he has tasked Jon Kent, Damian Wayne and Elizabeth Rpince-the current Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman-to assassinate her. The Matriarch, currently attended to by Mouse Man, now lives in Wayne Mansion. When the time arrives, after the heroes have a final goodbye with each other, Batman bursts in and steals the God Killer and battles with the Matriarch. Superman bursts in and steals the Green Lantern flight ring she wears. But that turns out to be a ruse and is actually a Kryptonite ring. As Elizabeth fires an arrow meant to kill the Matriarch, Luthor shoots the arrow and breaks it, saving Matriarch, allowing her to kill the two heroes. Heartbroken, Elizabeth heads to a secret passage at the base of the Washington Monument where she has a rendezvous with mother. It is revealed that Jon had swapped out the God Killer when they met with Luthor and now Diana possesses it.  

DC UNIVERSE Month 99, Part 1

ABSOLUTE BATMAN #18 by Scott Snyder and Eric Canete. Batman, in his spiked suit, is fighting hybrids inside the Heart Building as Alfred searches for a weak point on Ivy’s body. She reveals that, during the fire in the lab, only her preserved heart survived, eventually transforming her. She moves him towards a huge spore cluster that she plans to unleash and evolve Gotham in a way to help it resist Grimm. Officer Gordon arrives with a sound cannon and a SWAT team and Batman threatens to use it on Ivy’s heart unless she destroys the spores, which she does. As it turns out, Batman still crushes the heart anyway, revealing a more brutal, darker Batman. Meanwhile, Martha meets with the Court of Owls, who are upset that she broke the communication rules. With guns pulled on her, she dares them to pull the trigger and, much to her surprise, someone does.

ABSOLUTE FLASH #12 by Jeff Lemire and Nick Robles. Wally comes forth from the portal and reunites with his father, which is short-lived as Thawne’s energy monster charges forward. The two battle across the landscape with Thawne claiming he is the one and only Flash. The Rogues intervene with Jesse Quick opening a portal, leading to Rudy making the sacrifice and launches himself and Thawne into the portal. Wally demands they reopen the portal but the Rogues refuse due to safety concerns as Elenore flees. In the end, The Rogues now consider themselves free agents while Grodd learns from Dada that all men will pay.

ABSOLUTE FLASH #13 by Jeff Lemire and Haining. Wally, currently staying at the Dibney Youth Mission, awakens from a nightmare involving his father. The next day, Dibney questions him about the events and what he has seen Wally do. He also shows him a card delivered by people who came looking for Wally; specifically Agent Hunter Zolomon of the D.E.O. Later, Linda inquires about Wally’s powers and shows him a cell phone video of Wally as the Flash. After demonstrating his powers to her, he talks about his mother and how a lot of what happened to her was because she didn’t stay on her Bi-Polar medications. They head to what is left of Fort Fox to try and find our what happened to his father when they come across broken mirrors in one of the bathrooms. Suddenly Linds finds herself trapped in the mirror shards and Wally gets dragged in by…the Mirror Master.

ABSOLUTE GREEN LANTERN #12 by Al Ewing and Jonboy Lindsay. Hector Hammond’s dark creation is trying to kill Jo Mullein, with Cameron Chase defending her ex by shooting at it and temporarily disrupting Hammon himself, who is wearing the Mento Device. This allows them to flee to the roof, where the creature ends up following them to. Meanwhile, Simon has found a way to hide his face again. Jo uses her ring and her powers to fight the creature but it takes Hal using his powers to finally separate the creature from its’ host, Todd Rice. Simon arrives and directs them to the object in the sky-the Green Lantern. But Tomar Re has arrived and says the the Green Lantern is actually a gun he is going to use to kill Mogo.

ABSOLUTE MARTIAN MANHUNTER #10 by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez. John is trapped inside a hallucination, trapped inside a bar by government forces led by a man named Rainbow. The bartender tells a story about beetles dying because they confuse beer bottles for other beetles to mate with. Eventually, he is awakened in the interrogation room where he is strapped into the Absorb-acon, pulling his thoughts out as data, with the ultimate goal being to weaponize Martian biology into something they call the Consensus. Meanwhile, the White Martian has possessed John’s son while also convincing John’s wife that everything is fine..

ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN #17 by Jason Aaron and Juan Ferreyra. The Parasite monster is causing havoc and Lois sees Jimmy captured by it, with him begging her to kill him. Hawkman attacks it, with no regard for the people trapped inside of it. Superman orders him to stop as he will kill those people and Hawkman says they can’t be saved and he is just trying to put them out of their misery. Superman hears Lois scream and he rescues her, while Hawkman insists that Superman should not let the create assimilate him and gain more power. But Superman figures that he didn’t free Lois but she had no fear and the creature dropped her. If Superman can make everyone in Metropolis feel that way, he can defeat the creature. The Parasite assimilates Superman and grabs Hawkman, leading to Carter Hall being lectured by a young Clark to motivate him. Connected to the creature’s nervous system, the creature suddenly explodes, freeing everyone. Superman scoops up the creatures remains and tell Lois and Jimmy he is taking it to the Fortress he has built. He tells Hawkman that he knows who he worked for and that he is not for sale. Meanwhile, Talia breaks into Ra’s prison and convinces him to leave with her, leaving Superman’s book behind with an apology to him. Hawkman calls Talia and says they have a problem. In the end, Brainiac slaughters Lex’s wife and son Alex, with Brainiac telling him to “make yourself interesting”.

ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN #18 by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman. Having lost her arm to her assailant and his curse inside of her, Diana heads to Hieron, followed by Zatanna. Although sent to bind Diana, she unbinds her, risking Cale’s wrath, But Diana clashes with Zatanna before ending the battle. Diana heads to confront Giovanni Zatara, freeing Queen Ara along the way. She calls upon the Troika, transforming her for the final battles with the witch.

ACTION COMICS #1096 by Mark Waid and Skylar Patridge. Many years ago, Superboy saves Lana’s father after a mysterious blast from the sky almost kills him. Lang ominously tells Superboy that he will soon find out what it is he has been jotting down in his notebooks. He later experiences what appears to be some sort of time displacement happening, eventually sending him to his own future and the Fortress of Solitude. Hearing voices calling for help, he finds a mysterious box and, when he touches it, Mary Marvel, Martian Manhunter, and Booster Gold appear and encourage him to flee from a giant robot that is chasing them.

BATGIRL #17 by Tate Brombal and Takeshi Miyazawa. Stephanie Brown is concerned about Cassandra who says she is almost home when suddenly her own blood attacks her. Suiting up, she tracks down Jaya and Tenji, asking for help in getting the Bloodmaster reverse this curse. They end up battling Wu Zhi and the Bloodmaster’s followers, eventually defeating them and finding Bloodmaster who is currently connected to a portal to the Spirit World.

BATMAN #7 by Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez. The issue opens with Josiah Jones leaving a room in Arkham Towers, calling Bullock’s office and saying “he” wants to talk. Bullock relays this information to Batman where he meets with Zeller who takes him to Patient Ten who she has used a number of methods to immobilize. What he finds is The Joker, suspended in green fluid and wired to machines that control his every movement. He refuses to answer Batman’s questions but says that Jones is a former policeman who may have taken this job out of empathy or retribution. He proceeds to go on at length at how Zeller’s treatments have given him new insight. When Zeller attempts to end the session, The Joker insists on complete confidentiality in a conversation with Batman, telling him that someone is coming to kill Batman. When Batman says that is normal, The Joker calls him ‘Bruce’.

BATMAN/STATIC: BEYOND #4 by Evan Narcisse and Nikolas Draper-Ivey. Static is battling with Shutdown but Shutdown’s powers have drained Virgil’s energy. Gear, Rubberband Man and Aquamaria arrive and stop Shutdown but he transports away. Elsewhere, Terry is forced to use analog stealth to track a Kobra cult, with a mysterious voice, revealed to be Ebon, leading him to a hidden bunker containing a prototype Batsuit. Meanwhile, in deep space, Superman and Icon meet with the Cooperative, with Hawkgirl arriving to inform Warhawk about the blackout on Earth. Back on Earth, Richie presents Virgil with a ‘Shutdown Suit that will allow him to store and recycle energy. But things are not getting easier as a division of Cadmus soldiers have arrived to arrest Static.

BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST #49 by Mark Waid, Mark Russell, and Marcus To. 48 hours ago, Superman and Batman were battling Brainiac, who sent them into a rift, where they ended up on a S.T.A.R. spacecraft. That was then, this is now. They find themselves chained up at Magnus Robotics where they meet their Earth 3 counterparts: Ultraman, Owlman, and Superwoman. This Earth’s Riddler arrives and frees them, explaining that he has become disfigured because of an encounter with Owlman, who threw him into a vat of toxic chemicals. On this world, what our heroes know as villains on their Earth are actually the heroes and vice versa. Riddler and the other heroes, including Catwoman, Mad Hatter, and others, free Two Face and they end up battling Ultraman and company while Riddler is finding a way to send Superman and Batman back home. The team up defeats the villains and our heroes are sent home. In the end, Riddler reveals that he has discovered a certain thing in a swamp in Louisiana.

BATWOMAN #1 by Greg Rucka and Dani. On an isolated island in Greece, Kate Kane is undergoing a therapy session, trying to deal with her fractured relationship with her sister. While her therapist believes what she is talking about is their childhood relationship, Kate is actually talking about she was forced to fight her as Alice, when she was acting in the name of Darkseid. That fight ended with Kate being thrown off a cliff by her sister. Kate is broken by the experience but there is much afoot as disciples of Darkseid have already decided that Kate is ripe for the picking and will soon be in their control. But Batwoman arrives and has other plans.

CATWOMAN #85 by Torunn Gronbekk and Davide Gianfelice. Two weeks ago, Black mask is beating someone he has hanging from the rafters of the building he is in; someone who has been partially dismembered and had their face removed from their body. A woman arrives saying she hates Selina Kyle as much as he does. A week ago, Selina returns to Gotham and is greeted by her friend George, before finding that she is going to being evicted from her apartment. Following a call to her, Selina meets with her friend Holly, who reveals that her girlfriend needs money, with Selina promising to get the money. Currently, Selina has disguised herself as a blonde pregnant woman and has managed to make her way into the GCPD lockup and steals what was the biggest seizure in GCPD history, which includes money and drugs. Selina meets with Carmine, who she is working for, and is pissed off that drugs were involved. Back at her apartment, she discovers George there, masked and tied up. When she removes the mask, it triggers and explosive device attached to his head, which immediately kills him.

DC K.O. #5 by Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson, Javi Fernandez, Wes Craig, and Xermanico. In another timeline, Darkseid has become King Omega of the Absolute Universe and begins his invasion of Universe-0, where Superman watches Batman and Wonder Woman being killed by Darkseid. The Time Trapper reveals that he created this timeline as one last way to stop Darkseid by helping Superman, who he believes will be able to win while also allowing the Time Trapper to redeem himself spiritually. He also knows that universes have died because of Omega energy but have also been born because of Alpha energy and he gives Superman all of his power to allow Superman to win. In the tournament, Lex has become King Omega but is suddenly eliminated by a revived Superman, and now Darkseid and Superman battle for ultimate supremacy. The battle is fierce as Darkseid assimilates part of the universe with every strike upon Superman. At the space before the universe is born, the pair fights for millions of years with Superman eventually destroying the heart of Apokolips, allowing the fallen heroes to return. They take the shape of a red beam that vaporizes Darkseid. .With the tournament over , Superman still holds the power but rejects it while rising to the heavens to become the protector of a world of unlimited options..With Superman gone, Bruce and Diana still visit Lois on game night. At the Watchtower, Mr. Terrific reveals that people all over the world have been given Alpha and Omega energies while Booster Gold leaves to find Superman. Cyborg has new Apokoliptian powers and Superboy Prime takes Metropolis as his new home. The Omega Legion has fled back into the future and Lex has taken back control of Lexcorp. ‘Elsewhere’, Alfred Wayne realizes the box Batman left him has stopped working and Damian notices that it is detecting signals from other worlds; all with other Batmen. In Central City, Barry continues to record the history of the universe but discovers his computer has a new text title ‘Book Zero’. In the end, it is revealed Darkseid has survived and still is planning to conquer the Multiverse and still rules the Absolute Universe. He has now decided to set up a tournament in each universe that will have their own King Omegas, eventually starting a ‘Crisis of Absolute proportions’.

DC X AEW #2 by Steve Orlando and Travis Mercer. Lex and Mercedes Mone now have the broken belt that contains the Element Xplates and now the Big Galactic Belt has been reforged. Mr. Terrific notices that reality is being remixed and it is up to the combined might of the AEW stars and Earth’s heroes to fix things. Will Ospreay and Nightwing battle the League of Assassins. John Moxley and Guy Gardner battle mutants in the city of Vanity. Orange Cassidy and Harley Quinn fight the Royal Flush Gang in Atlantic City. In Limbo Town, Hawkgirl and Adam Page face off against the Inquisitors. Over on Dinosaur Island, John Stewart and Swerve Strickland fight Deimos. Having defeated Johnny Sorrow, Toni Storm and Zatanna fight against the Shaggoth Dogs. Wonder Woman and Willow Nightingale are in the Underworld battling Echidna. In the Tomb of Gotham, a reckless Darby Allen and Batlam fight The Joker. The joker gets the upper hand until unexpected backup arrives in the form of Sting. All the heroes transport to the Watchtower where a battle royal ensues until Kenny Omega arrives, using the Mother Box to become the New God of Professional Wrestling. Together with Wonder Woman, he battles Lex and Mercedes, with the heroes winning after delivering a ‘Truth Trigger’. In the end, the belt is sent back home to The Source.

DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR #1 by Tony Fleecs and Carmine Di Giandomenico. At a time not specified, Wintergreen is meeting with Rose Wilson. He says he is getting older and cannot keep taking care of Slade Wilson with Rose telling him she won’t be her father’s manservant. In the present, Deathstroke has been hired by an unknown contact to take out an unspecified target. What he ends up walking into is a fight with the Body Doubles. Defeating them, he discovers a dead Wintergreen with a note from the person who hired him saying they are taking everything from Slade, starting with all of his money and then an explosion trigger from a device under Wintergreen’s chair. Slade is broke and his best friend is dead and now he’s sufficiently pissed off!

DETECTIVE COMICS #1107 by Tom Taylor and Pete Woods. After Batman interrupts Green Arrow busting a crooked cop, he reveals he is aware of a takeover bid of Queen Industries by Klep Corp. He also reveals there is a criminal investigation going on and that two of the three whistleblowers have died of seemingly natural causes…on the same night. Later, Bruce attends a training session involving the Bat Family and Team Arrow. In the end, Ollie, Dinah, and Bruce gather at the grave of an old ally named Prion when a little girl arrives and questions them, followed by the woman’s grandmother.

EMPEROR AQUAMAN #15 by Jeremy Adams and John Timms. Somewhere inside The Blue, a young boy, who actually may be Arthur Curry, washes up on the shore. A man who looks like an older version of Aquaman tells the boy it is time to save the universe, also saying that they are part of each other and have been separated. They travel to Curry Lighthouse where they find a civilian Arthur Curry who tries to convince the pair to stay in The Blue. On Earth, Lolanna tells Mera that Arthur is trapped in The Blue forever as she sends water constructed dragons to attack her daughter. Back in The Blue, the trio hears Mera calling for them. With that revelation, the civilian, the old man, and the boy join hands and merge, allowing their energy to break the barrier they are held behind and head back to Earth. The jewel on Lolanna’s neck explodes and Aquaman bursts forth, banishing her into The Blue. After an embrace, Aquaman and Mera, along with Justice League Blue, head to Atlantis, where Aquamna breaks the barrier, freeing Atlantis. Aquaman proclaims that, together, they will work together to confront the seas on every world to help protect Atlantis while also declaring himself emperor and opening a portal to The Blue.

THE FLASH #31 by Ryan North and Gavin Guidry. Wally is in the process of serving dinner to his family when he goes to handle the chaos created by Tar Pit using the Weather Wizard’s wand that has created an unstoppable tornado it has created. Solving that problem, he observes a woman preparing to jump off a building and rescues her. What he later discovers is that there is a new challenge where people are being offered money to capture the best video of The Flash saving them. He pays a visit to the man responsible: Robby Eves of Creat-O-Matic Solutions Inc. That leads to a mysterious individual having Eves up the reward by two hundred percent.

GREEN LANTERN #33 by Jeremy Adams, Ron Marz, Xermanico, V. Ken Marion, Dan Jurgens, and Darryl Banks. Kyle and Odyssey find themselves stuck of the 405 freeway as he is trying to track down seven escapees from Sciencell Sector Black. This gives him time to relate his origin story while he was struggling to be a successful artist. Later, he is visited by Wally West, who helps him get his new apartment fixed up, until they end up at a nearby film studio and fight one of the escapees, eventually capturing him. In the second story, Hal Jordan finds himself transported somewhere is space where he meets with Jayna, as they find themselves trapped by Manhunters. They get their way past them and commandeer a ship, escaping into space. That leads to Krona, who has downloaded his consciousness into a clone of Hal, but that body has become corrupted, leading to him retelling Hal’s life story. In the last story, Kyle mentors to young Lanterns who refer to him as a beacon in the darkness..

DC UNIVERSE: Month 97, Part 2

THE FLASH #30 by Mark Waid, Christopher Cantwell, and Vasco Georgiev. Wally, Bart, and Barry travel through time to where Barry had to make the sacrifice during CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS. Bart tries to create a scenario where Barry does not disappear into the Speed Force, even as Darkseid reminds Bart that his tampering with this moment risks destroying the Speed Force that he has become. At the same time, Wally, along with Max Mercury, Rocky Davis, last seen in CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN #5, and Ultivac, battle against Darkseid and his Legion. Wally goes after Bart, stopping him from changing history. Continued in DC K.O. #5.

GREEN LANTERN #32 by Jeremy Adams and Montos. Star Sapphire and Dove respond to a cry for help in Paris, only to find that it is only Hal here looking for a date with Carol. Their date, with Hal explaining what he learned from the Book of Oa, is interrupted as Carol notes a mystical cry and they go after a thief named Cupid, who blast them with explosives. They battle her and, in the process, Carol sees that Hal was going to propose, which causes her to unleash upon Cupid. Carol sees that the stolen item is a cross with a pink gem inside and it sets itself into Carol’s ring. The gem reveals there were eight aspects of love and Carol must reunite them, with her wielding Agape. Hal attempts to propose but she tells him to wait until her mission is complete. He heads off to meet Kyle before finding himself transported to Phantom Girl’s lab. Meanwhile, Krona steals a ship in Dark Sector Seven.

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #13 by Morgan Hampton, Jason Paz, Will Conrad, Oclair Albert and Fernando Pasarin. Fatality attacks John Stewart with Enquar encouraging her to kill him. But she resists and rallies Lanterns, defeating him and imprisoning him in her necklace.

HARLEY QUINN #59 by Elliot Kalan and Carlos Olivares. Harley and Althea go on their date that gets interrupted by Colonel Blimp. Harley, determined to no longer have to deal with things, tells him to go ahead and rob the place. Chicken Fingers arrives to fight Blimp and Harley tells Althea that she may not be a complete good guy but Althea is the bad guy, leading to them realizing the both have good and bad in them. When Harley saves Chicken Fingers, she declares the date over and orders Althea to leave with Chicken Fingers, who she takes to the hospital. Harley, still fighting Blimp, ends up in Chicken Finger’s hospital room, eventually admitting that maybe they aren’t such bad guys after all.

JSA #16 by Jeff Lemire and Gavin Guidry. Dr. Fate tries to convince Corrigan that there is still good in the world as he tries to get him to embrace the Spectre. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman and The Atom end up at Gotham Airstrip but Hawkman and Hawkgirl are also there to take on Satanna, Sportsmaster, and Cyclotron. The Flash, along with Johnny Thunder and Yz the Thunderbolt transport to the airstrip and introduce themselves, with Hawkman and Hawkgirl taking offense at the comments of the other heroes. Alan Scott meets with Starco CEO Walter Baze, who drugs Scott, realizing he is getting too close to what is happening and revealing himself to be the Ultra-Humanite. Beneath Starco, Sandman and Hourman talk with the other captive, who reveals himself to be Amazing Man.

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #16 by Mark Waid and Dan Mora. As the battle in Oklahoma City continues, Air Wave calls in backup with Blue Beetle explaining the rest of the Justice League is busy with the evacuation of Earth. In Hell, Owlwoman has betrayed the assembled team and joined Neron. She agreed to monitor the League’s action to save herself from death. Neron sends her to Oklahoma City to protect the souls of the villains he has already collected. Seeing the heroes and villains fight even as it looks like certain death, she decides to destroy the sphere with the souls and gets Doctor Occult to open a portal so she can save Mr. Terrific. Furious at Owlwoman’s actions as she sends Terrific back through the portal as the portal closes. Back with Martian Manhunter and Mary Marvel, Terrific says that his team has died and they all died heroes.

JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. GODZILLA VS. KONG #7 by Brian Buccellato and Christian Duce. Batman and Harley transport to a Monarch base to find a Titan that could help them against Lex and Shaw, finding Mothra as a possible ally. In Peru, Kong takes on Cheetah with the help of Hal and Wally while Martian Manhunter takes on Ghidorah and Rodan. In the Pacific, Aquaman and Mister Terrific tend to an injured Godzilla. But, when a distress call from Wonder Woman takes Aquaman away, Terrific detonates a nuclear device, revitalizing Godzilla, just in time to team up with Mothra. The heroes team up with Godzilla, Kong, Mothra and some of the Great Apes to take down Ghidorah and Skar King. With the battle ended, the League sends Task Force X home, with some Leaguers remaining to monitor the situation. In the end, Harley and King Shark relax on a beach until Mr. Terrific and Batman arrive and convince them to return home.

NEW HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE: THE DAKOTA INCIDENT #1 by Joseph P. Illidge, Stephanie Williams, Morgan Hampton, Nikolas Draper-Ivey, Valentine De Landro, Carlo Pagulayan, Stephen Segovia, Fico Ossio, and Edwin Galmon. In the future, Rocket’s son and Static’s protégé Amistad, under the hero name of Beacon, journeys into the past to save the future and observes moments from Dakota’s history he was unaware of. In the days when Lex Luthor was President, the heroes of Dakota first emerged and he demanded Amanda Waller assemble a squad to bring Dakota under his authority. Bronze Tiger, Captain Boomerang, and Deadshot, along with troops, descend on Dakota and they get into combat with the Dakota heroes. Captain Atom arrives and he battles Icon. Superman and Wonder Woman arrive and team with the Dakota heroes, forcing Task Force X to flee. With Static and Rocket as representatives, they join Jefferson Pierce in meeting with Icon, who has inked a deal with Luthor that would allow a D.E.O. office to activate in Dakota. In the present again, Beacon meets with Static, who eventually remembers the past as time resets. In the end, he looks for his suit and Static lives again.

NIGHTWING #135 by Dan Watters and Dexter Soy. From out of the rubble of Titans Tower, Nightwing Prime arises with Night-Hare. At the Cirque, Nightwing works on getting the children out when he is attacked by The Zanni. Nightwing-Prime arrives and takes over the battle, allowing Dick and the children to escape. Prime stays behind in a never-ending battle with The Zanni. In the end, Nightwing gives Night-Hare to one of the rescued children while Mayor Bisogni plots.

POISON IVY #41 by G. Willow Wilson and Davide Gianfelice. Having killed Henley, Ivy is on the run but ultimately gets apprehended and jailed, with the Falcone family and Great White Shark., where she finds she is famous because someone recorded the murder. Janet from HR goes to the Mayor’s office, trying to gain Ivy’s release, meeting with someone from the Mayor’s office is knows more about Ghost Pipe than she should. Despite that, Janet fails. The woman, whose name is Juhi, proceeds to manifest a creature that calls her Summoner and asks the creature to follow Janet. Ivy gets fan mail and a visit from Harley, with Ivy saying she is going to run for Mayor.

SUPERGIRL #10 by Sophie Campbell and Joe Qujinones. Kara meets with her crush while Lena and Luna spy on her. He tells Kara that he knows she is Supergirl, leading Luna to use one of her gadgets to determine that he is wearing an earring that is having an effect on Kara. Lena rips the earring off the man’s ear and the spirit of Nela-Nar comes forth from it, determined to live vicariously and help the Kryptonian fall in love. Luna unleashes an Anti-Kryptonite suit to protect Supergirl for as long as the suit maintains power. With Lena’s help, she traps Nela’s essence in one of Lena’s gadgets. In the end, Conner arrives telling Kara that Kandor is in big trouble.

SUPERMAN #35 by Joshua Williamson, Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, and Julio Ferreira. Before the tournament begins, Doomsday tells Superman to trust Robot Superman as the final hope against Darkseid. In the present, Superboy Prime battles Darkseid’s Legion while Saturn Girl taunts Lois about her husband’s death at the hands of the Horsemen of the Absolute. In the process, Saturn Girl’s own feelings for Lightning Lad come forth, quieting Darkseid’s voice in her head. Lois tries to convince Saturn Girl to renounce Darkseid and she does, begging Prime to not kill Lightning Lad and orders the Legion to retreat. As Time Trapper looks to flee into the past, he is shown a video of Lara Lor-Van, who explains that Doomsday is the alpha to Darkseid’s omega. Robot Superman, critically damaged fighting with Cosmic Boy, realizing his mission is complete and dies. Tim Trapper decides to face Darkseid personally with what little power he still has. Superwoman reunites with the Kents and introduces them to Prime, who asks to be called Clark.

SUPERMAN UNLIMITED #10 by Dan Slott, Jeremy Adas, and Lucas Meyer. Clark compares Prankster II to The Puzzler or The Trickster, causing him to want to kill Clark. With Perry still alive, the original Prankster says they can give Minnie Manheim a refund, but his nephew refuses. Oswald meets with Minnie who still wants Perry killed and now wants him to pay her back with double of what she paid him. When he refuses to refund her money, she has her henchman cut off his right hand, which turns out to be a prop. She demands he finish the job or she will cut off both hands. The fake hand turns out to be a microphone that has recorded the whole thing, revealing she plans to rob the Hob’s Bay reserve, leading him to pass the info to the Daily Planet as an anonymous tip. Clark gives chase and gets attacked by robots but changes into Superman and defeats them. Back at the Daily Planet, Oswald meets with Clark, promising to reveal his son’s lair provided he can be protected from Minnie. In the lair, Oswald is revealed to be Prankster II in disguise and Clark is attacked by a Kryptonite snake. When Prankster II leaves, Clark powers up his golden power, trapping his enemies and retrieving the fake hand with the evidence. Elsewhere, Mr. Mxyzptlk warns again about Txyz, whose voice informs Jon that their first meeting will be their last.

TITANS #32 by John Layman and Pete Woods. In the past, the Titans debate what to do with the plan to evacuate Terra to Gemworld. In the present day, Terra overpowers Nightwing and Raven, with Nightwing suggesting she free Amethyst and help them battle Jinx and aid the refugees. On Earth, Grail offers saving Donna so she can serve Darkseid, with Donna refusing. Breaking free, she attacks with help from Connor and the young heroes. Donna summons a Boom Tube and that sends Grail and her army into space. Raven psychically links all of the Titans, thanks to Amethyst’s magic and terra’s increased power. They share a moment together, with Donna reminding them that they will endure together, always. To be concluded in DC K.O. #5 as this title becomes NEW TITANS.

WONDER WOMAN #30 by Tom King and Jeff Spokes. Eris observes with pride as she has deceived Nubia, Cassie, Yara, Donna, Phillipus, and Clio into believing in their own insecurities even as they all have their own ideas of what is best for Elizabeth, leading to them attacking each other. Eris manifests the Apple of Discord and, after taking a bite, dark duplicates of the women manifest in front of them. Diana arrives and dispatches the dark duplicates. Eris promises that, someday, Lizzie will be affected by fear and then she departs, saying the Wonder War will begin soon. Back in her garden, Eris plants a seed while mysterious figures stand behind her. She claims that the united Amazons might be united by what’s in front of them but the war will bloom beneath them.

DC UNIVERSE: Month 97, Part 1

ABSOLUTE BATMAN #17 by Scott Snyder and Eric Canete. In a flashback to Pamela Isley’s tenth birthday, her mother, recently diagnosed with brain cancer, takes her to Gotham City. At the age of twenty-three, she is in the Heart Building, trying to create a cure for her mother by injecting plant DNA into human stem cells. At twenty-five, she succeeds in creating human cells combined with DNA from all classifications of living creatures. As she attempts to leave with her research, her lab door shuts and locks and bursts into flames, consuming her. A week ago, Bruce discovered Waylon’s shed reptile skin, suggesting he is still mutating. He goes to visit Ozzie and gets removed by security. Eddie has cleared out his workshop, leaving only a note with a riddle. Harvey, despite having a cracked skull, has left the hospital. He goes to visit Joe Chill, who declares he wishes to never see Bruce again. In the present, Isley has created a gigantic tree sprouting from the basement of the Heart Building. Mayor Hill declares the area as a biohazard zone but Batman cuts his way inside, finding many GCPD officers who have been transformed into monsters. He fights off most of them  and Alfred informs him he is picking up a human signal in the area and also that Pamela Isley allegedly died at the age of twenty-five. Barbara Gordon blows up the final creature and Batman uses his cape as a parachute to get her off the tree and away from the battle. He reaches the top and confronts Isley, who is no longer who she was, sending monstrous duplicates to attack him. The real Isley appears and transforms into a horrendous creature. In the end, Martha makes a phone call to the Court of Owls.

ABSOLUTE GREEN LANTERN #11 by Al Ewing and Jonboy Lindsay. Hal finally wakes after being unconscious for three weeks, learning he is in a closed auto repair shop along with Simon, Jo, Cameron and Kari Limbo. They have been planning on finding a way to kill Jon Double, who they are positive was responsible for selling them out to Hammond. Elsewhere, a group of soldiers encounter. Obsidian and are butchered. The creature is being monitored and possibly being controlled by Hammond using the Mento device that Steve Dayton had created.. Back at the garage, Kari is pressed into service to try and use clairvoyance and psychometry to see a bit into the future. What she sees is flashes of the five emotional spectrums. She also sees the Controller of MU: Sin. Es. To. Obsidian arrives and kills Kari, who has the ring and both it and Kari are buried under the rubble. In the end, Ain Aur (John Stewart) and Ain Rao (Guy Gardner) note that something is coming to Oa. It turns out to be Tomar Re, who claims he plans on taking over.

ABSOLUTE MARTIAN MANHUNTER #9 by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez. Agenta are vivisecting the Martian, pleading for John before a burst of energy overwhelms them with visions of “green eggs and man.” Meanwhile, John investigates and interrogates dreamers with Despair in tow. Later, he attends a therapy session where his wife and doctor label him as a schizophrenic because of his alleged alien communications. As his mind continues to shatter thanks to Despair, the military makes it’s way to his home.

ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN #16 by Jason Aaron and Juan Ferreyra. Back in 1940, archeologist Carter Hall and his partner Bradford descend into the tomb of Teth-Adam in Kahndaq, Bradford betrays Carter for Berlin and cuts his robe, forcing Carter to reach out and grab a Nth metal mace, allowing him to escape as he grows wings and fights off the Poeacemaker guards. He declares himself Hawkman and that he is one of the good guys. In the present, a much older Hawkman introduces himself to Superman, telling him Superman is too flashy and he should work with Lazarus rather than fight against them. As Superman goes to leave to help with an emergency, Hawkman grabs him and punches him into the Daily Planet, leading to the pair brawling as the Parasite rampages through Metropolis. Meanwhile, Lois meets former Planet editor Perry White while Jimmy texts her about his new job. In the end, family man Lex Luthor, along with his wife, Lena and Alex rejects Brainiac’s offer involving the Superman Project. Brainiac reveals he has Multiverse knowledge about other Luthors and he plans to motivate Luthor one way or another as Brainiac transforms into a killer machine..

ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN #17 by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman. Zatanna is bound, wanting to attack Diana while directing Giganta to do her bidding. Zatanna casts a spell to purge the parasite, breaks the bonds and teleports away. Diana’s magic returns and she battles Dr. Poison, Cheetah, Queen Ara’s reptile followers, and Giganta. Sovereign and Alberts observe this and she dismisses sending Cuca, ordering deployment of another to the battle. Diana grows to giant size to battle Giganta, while ordering the evacuation of Barbara and Ella, eventually choking the villain out. She hunts Ara but finds Cheetah, reverted back to Priscilla Rich, slain by a dagger containing blood magic. The flaming skeletal figure of Zatara casts a spell turning Diana’s metal arm into molten metal.

ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN ANNUAL #1 by Kelly Thompson and Mattia De Iulis. Diana finds herself traveling the world to help those who need her while constantly begging Athena to ease the suffering of Medusa. Eventually, Athena eventually answers and Diana offers to trade her abilities to free Medusa from her pain. Diana climbs a cliff to reach where Medusa and her sisters live, leading to a battle with the sisters and eventually an audience with Medusa. Diana uses her temporary ability to see Medusa and her sisters as she was; giving them the option to be free of their curse.

ACTION COMICS #1095 by Mark Waid and Patricio Delpeche. Pete has discovered the Clark and Superman are one and the same and has been avoiding Clark ever since because he believes that Clark doesn’t trust him. During the school day, Pete catches members of the football team bullying a fellow student and homosexual named Curtis, leading to him telling teachers and the chief bully being benched for the rest of the season. Later, Pete has a long chat with Lana which is interrupted by some thugs and, since Superboy was responsible for the brother of one of them to be arrested, has decided to take his anger out on Lana. She attempts to get free but falls off the cliff they are at the top of but is rescued by Superboy. After defeating the thugs, Lana makes Superboy insist that they are NOT in a relationship. The next day, Pete begins talking to Clark again as he understands that Clark is often busy with his job as Superboy.

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN: BOOK OF EL #6 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Scott Godlewski. On the day that Kryl-Ux invaded Earth, Otho-Ra and Osul-Ra tried to protect Lois from a Warzoon, but Osul-Ra gets captured. Otho-Ra hears a voice telling her to save her father she must find “the racer” and then finds herself in space with a streak of light coming towards her. Three weeks later, the Sun Eater, now possessing the Will of Olgrun, has teleported himself and an injured Superman to Izaya’s Belt, but Clark gets saved by attacking Phaelosian warriors. At the Warworld Engines, Alura-El recognizes Clark as the legendary Superman. She tells him that Otho-Ra is being held by the Valkyries against her will. She gets taken to sickbay and reunites with Superman. A hooded man tells her Superman is being consumed by the Sun Eater’s black fire and that the belt is being haunted by the Black racer and is coming for Superman and she will have to outrace him and become a god herself. Elsewhere, Kryl-Ux retrieves the Madness of Olgrun from Mongol’s corpse, mutating him.

AQUAMAN #14 by Jeremy Adams and Daniel Bayliss. In the Hall of Kingdoms, Andrina reveals that she is actually the Crimson Queen Lolanna Merana Challa-Mera’s mother and fights against Arion and his team. At Lolanna’s grave in Xebel, an old woman emerges from the kelp forest and tells Mera and Nereus the story of Mera’s mother. Lolanna was the daughter of the Grand Vizier of Atlantis and she led a revolution against a previous King. While her father begged the King to spare her life, he instead sentenced her and her followers to permanent exile to Xebel. She swore revenge and promised she would find a way to escape. Wile there, she married Ryus and gave birth to Mera. One day, she discovered a ‘tide jewel’ that was a conduit to Dagon, who promised to allow her a chance to escape if she served him. She agreed and was turned to stone. When the prophecy Dagon was aware of was being fulfilled, he awakened her so she could kill Aquaman and become the Avatar of the Blue. The barrier around Xebel was transferred to Atlantis and she created a fake Atlantis inside of the Blue. Those plans failed with Aquaman killing Dagon. Lolanna instructed the old woman to kill anyone who came asking questions and attacks Mera, with Nereus jumping in front and saving Mera, dying in the process. The old woman flees, saying nothing can stop Lolanna. On the island, Lolanna calls Aquaman back from the tournament, telling him Atlantis is under attack by Justice League Blue. She has drained his power and Omega Energy and his body transforms into water as she tells him she is not his daughter. Mera arrives and attacks her. Elsewhere, a child version of Arthur Curry washes up on the shore. To be continued in EMPEROR AQUAMAN #15.

BATGIRL #16 by Tate Brombal and Takeshi Miyazawa. Cass fights against the Unburied and defeats them, leading her to wonder where Nyssa al Ghul is. Cass and Jaya meet with Nyssa and Angle Breaker with Jaya saying they need to sound the alarms against the rest of the Unburied but Cass says she knows that Nyssa wants the bloodshed to come so she can recreate her father’s massacre and grow her own blue poppies. Cass and Jaya head off to find her brother even as the order comes in for Nyssa’s followers to turn their turrets onto the ruins where Tenji is. Haya shuts down the turrets but ends up fighting with Aruna, revealing she is with the Unburied and throws Aruna off a cliff. Cass frees her brother and briefly battles with Nyssa, defeating her. Angel Breaker tells Nyssa that Samsara has fallen and they flee. Cass explains that the Unburied now have their land back.

BATMAN #6 by Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez. After the events of last issue, Bruce is trying to juggle things, especially with Annika Zeller and her dangerous research. Meanwhile, Hugo Strange’s Monster men launches an attack on key infrastructure in Gotham, forcing Batman to respond. In the end, Zeller is still experimenting, speaking to an unknown entity and with a strange looking body in a stasis tube.

BATMAN AND ROBIN #30 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Fico Ossio. Batman and Robin arrive at the fundraiser just as Wesker and his men do. But the Quiet Man is also here and is intent on taking out Wesker for the death of his son Alvin. Robin convinces him not to kill Wesker but, in doing so, is shot by Scarface. As Batman watches, Robin uses his learned skills to save the Quiet Man. Later, Robin goes off and finds Mercer’s submerged truck, which still has the long dead bodies of Brazzi and Alvin Mercer, meaning the boy can finally be properly buried.

BATMAN/STATIC: BEYOND #3 by Evan Narcisse and Nikolas Draper-Ivey. Raquel and Beacon arrive to find Batman standing over Static’s unconscious form before he goes airborne, hoping the storm above will jolt Static back to life. Awake again, Static verbally spars with Batman, saying they should have come up with a plan to stop Shutdown. But they find a way to work together and, eventually, Static and his “Students of Tomorrow” go after Shutdown.

BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST #48 by Mark Waid and Marcus To. Many years ago, on Earth 3, Thomas Wayne’s parents are murdered but, on this Earth, Thomas Wayne Jr. is responsible, having paid their assassin with half of his inheritance. Twenty years later, Ultraman is tormenting the city  with his best friend Owlman. Later, Owlman finds his partner Talon slain and decides to pull another young tra8nee to fill the shoes. Owlman and Ultraman meet with the Doom Syndicate to work out a deal with a cache of “hero” artifacts Owlman procured from the League of Rogues that leads to a fight between all with the Syndicate being slain. They then go to Magnus Robotics, battling with the Metal men. Ultraman reaches out to Superwoman and she rescues them, with Owlman decapitating Magnus in the process. Bursting into a chamber at Magnus Robotics, they find Superman and Batman as captives.

CATWOMAN #84 by Torunn Gronbekk and Patricio Delpeche. Selina goes looking for Holly while recalling an earlier theft attempt that went badly when Holly fell apart after taking drugs to calm her down and give her “courage”. Selina finds a letter saying she was sorry for taking Selina’s money and feels she was responsible for Selina leaving. In the end, Selina visits her mother’s grave and buries the pearl. Carmine arrives saying that there are parties that want that pearl and, in his mind, Catwoman works for him now..

DC X AEW #1 by Steve Orlando and Travis Mercer. In Gotham Square Garden, there is an event between the Wrestling Across the Multiverse and All Elite Wrestling. Deceilia Starshame loses to Mercedes Mone and destroys the Big Galactic Belt, scattering shards of the dangerous Element X across realities. The Justice League teams up with the AEW wrestlers to recover the shards before various villains can. Nightwing teams with Will Ospreay to fight the League of Assassins while Jon Moxley and Guy Gardner battle mutant gangs in the City of Vanity, with both teams recovering shards. Hangman Page and Hawkgirl battle the undead in Limbo Town. Swerve Strickland and John Stewart free Dinosaur Island from the clutches of Deimos while Orange Cassidy and Harley Quinn fight the Royal Flush Gang. Zatanna and Toni Storm battle Johnny Sorrow as Willow Nightingale and Wonder Woman fight Echidna in the Underworld. Darby Allen and Batman find the Joker in Gotham’s tomb as  Kenny Omega goes one-on-one with bane and Aquaman and Mercedes grab the final shard from The Trench. That is when Mercedes betrays Aquaman and sides with Lex Luthor.

DC K.O. #4 by Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson, Javi Fernandez, and Xermanico. The surviving heroes have reached Round Four with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman facing off against the Absolute Universe equivalents. As the heroes, along with Luthor and The Joker, battle the Absolute characters, The Joker declares that he wants to change sides and the Heart of Apokolips turns him into something resembling a Parademon. Superman uses his heat vision to transform Absolute Superman’s cape into a diamond hard cage that traps him. Absolute Wonder Woman uses her lasso to cut into Diana while Batman uses a hidden explosive device to light up his counterpart. Superman attacks the disembodied voice of Darkseid, freeing the Absolute heroes from his influence. But Lex realizes that Darkseid has released them because he no longer needs them. Darkseid appears and the heroes attack but Diana, Bruce and the Absolute heroes are dispatched by red energy. Superman suggests he and Lex team up but, when Superman’s back is turned, Luthor cuts him down, making Lex King Omega.. In a backup set in the future, Saturn Girl visits King Omega Darkseid with him telling her how he killed enough beings to create Absolute Earth and he orders the creation of his Horsemen

DC K.O. BOSS BATTLE #1 by Jeremy Adams, Ronan Cliquet, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Kieran McKeown, and Pablo M. Collar. On the transformed Earth, World Forger and Grodd watch Absolute Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman preparing to face off with the last eight competitors. But the World Forger feels the final eight need help and freezes the Absolute champions and resurrects Black Lightning, Plastic Man, Batwoman, and Star Sapphire. He opens a series of fissures that take the heroes to universes that hold enough Omega energy for the champions to use to defeat the Absolute Universe opponents. Plastic Man and Black Lightning are sent to a world where Mortal Kombat exists and they are forced to fight Sub-Zero and Scorpion. Wonder Woman ends up in a colosseum where she must fight Red Sonya. The Joker finds himself at an abandoned house with the Annabelle doll. Batwoman finds herself in a gothic castle with Vampirella. Star Sapphire ends up in Greendale where she meets Sabrina and Salem. Lex finds himself in a forest where bear Samantha Strong is dismembering a rabbit. Superman is above a city and sees Homelander with the arm of a citizen he has just killed. World Forager uses his hammer to gather the Omega energy but it is too much for him to handle but Grodd uses his power to stabilize the fissure and Alpheus sends the energy back to the final champions, even as the boundaries between universes collapse. Alpheus sends the other fighters back to their home universes while the resurrected heroes dissolve into dust. The final eight are now prepared to fight the Absolute heroes. Continued in DC K.O. #4.

DC K.O. GREEN LANTERN GALACTIC SLAM #1 by Jeremy Adams, Cian Tormey, and Pat Boutin. Kyle Rayner finds himself landing in the middle of a wrestling match between Omega-Bam-Man and Noxious Ned. Following the match, Omega-Bam-Man transports he and Kyle to the wrestler’s training facility where they meet with. Mr. Scuzz. Later, Omega-Bam-Man tells his origin story where he came under the tutelage of Bromega. When Bromega was killed in a fight with Mr. Scuzz, he was gifted the dying warrior’s glasses, eventually fighting Mr. Scuzz and winning the W.A.M. championship. Later, Kyle begins Captain Green Jeans and they learn that Bromega did not die and is one of the Children of Apololips. The pair battles in a televised universe-wide bout with Omega-Bam-Man winning. But, because he got assistance from Kyle, Omega-Bam-Man is disqualified and has to relinquish his championship, but agrees to help Kyle in the battle for Earth. Continued in DC K.O. #5.

DC K.O. KNIGHTFIGHT #4 by Joshua Williamson and Dan Mora.  Bruce wakes in the perfect Gotham that Damian has built, eliminating the need for Batman. While Bruce gets to bond with his grandson Alfred, the Heart warns him that happiness is punishment and he must fight to return to the tournament. Damian gathers the Bat Family and encourage Bruce to win the tournament so he can use the powers of King Omega to make their world real. He also trains Alfred on a gift he has created: a ‘Bat Box’. The heart demands that Bruce fight Damian to prove he is worthy and they engage in an hours long battle. The Heart insists Bruce kill Damian but he refuses and allows Damian to defeat him, which actually passes the Heart’s test. He realizes he must be Batman and prepares to re-enter the tournament. Continued in DC K.O. #4.

DETECTIVE COMICS #1106 by Tom Taylor and Mikel Janin. Batman confronts Leo the Lion as everyone in Gotham City is effected by his virus. Savage orders the crowd in the street to be intercepted and lethal force is authorized, which causes Jim Gordon to bunch his boss in frustration. Batman injects himself with Fear Toxin to counteract Leo’s poison. Batman calls for the Batmobile and it hits Leo, taking him out. Mr. Terrific tells Batman he has a temporary antidote that he is ready to deploy with crop dusters. As the police begin to fire on the crowd, the dusters drop their payload and Batman orders them to run. In the aftermath, the Lion sent Bruce the antidote and Mr. Terrific believes he can duplicate it easily. In the end, Bruce meets with Leo, who promises to never stop letting Batman win.

DC UNIVERSE Month 86, Part 2

HARLEY & IVY: LIFE & CRIMES #3 by Erica Henderson. Inside of Ace Chemical, Harley and Ivy find a lot of dead bodies with Joker’s grins, not to mention a giant heart shaped from dead bodies. Harley seems to like what she sees as a romantic gesture. The Joker arrives and seems to want to go back to him. But it’s all a ruse and Ivy uses her powers to defeat him. Then the two women have a long romantic session of their own. And that is when the police arrive and Ivy tells Harley to run.

HARLEY QUINN #58 by Elliot Kalan and Carlos Olivares. Sheldon Marcisak is dead at Dolores’ hands. Either way, the residents of Throatcutter Hill are slowly rebuilding and that means Harley is ready to finally settle things with Althea Klang, who she wants to leave Throatcutter Hill, after which they can go out on a date. Before things can be settled, a zeppelin arrives and Colonel Blimp puts Klang in danger. He knows of a change in criminal leadership in Gotham, he has come here to seek refuge. But Guy Mandrake has also arrived, looking to kill Blimp, who begs for his life. Harley tasks Amygdala to stop Mandrake, but he can’t fly and falls to the ground. Mandrake fires a rocket by an armored Richie redirects it, blowing up Mandrake’s helicopter. With Mandrake dispatched and Blimp promising to behave, Harley and Althea prepare for their date.  

JSA #15 by Jeff Lemire and Gavin Guidry. At the Tower of Fate, those gathered debate if Jim Corrigan is ready or even worthy tpo be The Spectre. Meanwhile, Corrigan and Green Lantern leave The Flash to continue their investigation into Degroot’s murder when Johnny Thunder shows up, revealing he knows The Flash is Jay Garrick and also producing his genie. Elsewhere, Wonder Woman and The Atom team up to take down Cheetah. At Starco Headquarters, Hourman and Sandman confront Cyclotron, who quickly takes them down and captures them, where they find a metal skinned man chained to a wall. In the end, Dr. Fate visits Jim Corrigan and tells him that he needs to become The Spectre or it will mean the death of everyone.

JUSTICE LEAGUE RED #6 by Saladin Ahmed and Clayton Henry. The Crimson Cloud has repurposed Red Tornado, who is being used as Crimson Cloud’s CPU. The team is then forced to experience their worst, most traumatic moments but Red Canary finds the strength and attacks. While Simon and Kara continue to fight the Crimson Cloud, Cyborg, Red Canary and Deadman while they work up a plan. Ultimately, they want Canary to fire a pinpoint energy blast at Red Tornado to wake him, even though it may cost Canary her life. She unleashes her power, eliminates the Crimson Cloud and frees Red Tornado. Later, as Canary recuperates, Tornado tells the others he has plans to deactivate himself but is talked out of it. In the end, Canary muses that Justice League Red is over but Power Girl arrives and says that they are just getting started.

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #15 by Mark Waid and Dan Mora. There is a blackout affecting the Watchtower as the League continues evacuations. Blue beetle goes to check the possible cause of the blackout and finds a portal opening with Air Wave emerging. He explains how he was fighting Shadow Lass to liberate the Vanishing Point. Then a team is put together to help Kid Flash and his friends in Oklahoma who are battling the villains empowered by Neron.. Neron hits Kid Flash with a vision that if the souls of the people Neron has captured are taken from the jar he has them in, they will be stranded on this decimated Earth. Meanwhile, Terrific’s team continues through Hell, with this portion being nothing but ice and snow and a demonic creature that Superman Blue sacrifices himself to destroy it. God Hawk hears a person in danger in a black sea and becomes possessed by it. Doctor fate casts a spell that vanquishes Hawk but Future’s End Batman dies in the process. Terrific alone is allowed into Neron’s throne room with Owlwoman and Doctor Fate waiting outside. They are  attacked by demons with fate dying. Terrific offers Neron a new deal: end the deal with the supervillains and Terrific will be his agent. Although tempted, that position has already been filled…by Owlwoman.

NIGHTWING #134 by Dan Watters and V. Ken Marion. Stuck in the Fifth Dimension, Nightwing is forced to face off against The Zanni in a game where a tin can version of Bludhaven has been built. The Zanni tells Nightwing that each with throw a baseball and knock down the cans with the caveat being that if Nightwing can knock down more cans, he can save the children. But the cans in the Fifth Dimension are connected to buildings in the real Bludhaven, meaning the damage would translate into the real world. The Zanni throws first and building collapse, shocking Barbara and Martian Manhunter , who spring into action. The Zanni tasks the children to attack Nightwing but he eventually throws what turns out to be Nite-Mite, allowing Dick to defeat The Zanni. But the headless Colombina construct throws her head at the model city, destroying both the model Titans Tower and the real one; the same one where Nightwing Prime is.

POISON IVY #40 by G. Willow Wilson and Davide Gianfelice. Harley has returned to Gotham and leads her the Order to take down a company that has been covering up their impact on climate change from the American people, but allows herself to be captured in the process. She is brought to a meeting with Savage, asking him to let her stay in Gotham without fear of arrest and she will have her people not commit attacks within Gotham’s city limits. He introduces her to Marie Henley: his “crime prevention tech czar”. He needs Ivy’s help to figure how to solve the issue of their A.I. processors using so many natural resources, so not she is teamed up with Henley. After making threats to Ivy regarding Janet and Harley, Ivy snaps and kills Henley. Unfortunately, that moment is captured on a cell phone..

SUPERGIRL #9 by Sophie Campbell and Joe Qujinones. It’s New Years Eve and Linda, Lesla, and Luna go to a party at Clarissa Giltedge’s home. Luna mentions that she would like to try alcohol, leading to Luna spiking her drink with a distilled form of Periwinkle Kryptonite that causes Kryptonians to lose their inhibitions, so she can experience it. Unbeknownst to Linda when Luna begins acting weird, Linda takes a sip of the drink and is also under the effects of the drink. At midnight, Luna kisses Clarissa and Linda kisses the stranger she met a few issues prior. Luna gets out of control, even as she shrinks in size as a result of the drink, and Linda leaves and returns as Supergirl, forcibly detaining her friend. Even as she continues to shrink back to Kandorian size, the Science Council orders her to return to Kandor. Heartbroken, Kara returns her and Lesla-Lar has an uncomfortable encounter with Zora Vi-Lar, now calling herself Black Flame.

SUPERMAN #34 by Joshua Williamson and Eddy Barrows. In the past, Superman decides to deactivate his Superman robots because they lack his sense of self-sacrifice. In the present, Prime and Lois Lane use one of the robots to transport the hard drive with Darkseid’s information to the Watchtower. Prime and the robot go off to help civilians who turn out to be the Royal Flush Gang. Back in the Fortress, the Legion of Darkseid members destroy Kelex. At the Watchtower, Lois and Robot Superman discover a near death Time Trapper, explaining that Booster Gold was actually Darkseid in disguise and the heroes are quickly captured and tortured by Saturn Girl and Cosmic Boy. The robot refuses to give any information and when the villains turn their attention to Lois, Prime prepares to unleash his full power on them.

SUPERMAN UNLIMITED #9 by Dan Slott and Mike Norton. At the Bronze Swan bar, Vicki Vale, Jack Ryder, Steve Lombard talking about recent freak accidents in Metropolis resulting in death. Perry later sends Clark to cover the mayor’s press conference, where Perry announces the work of the police in getting their hands on Intergang’s weapons, reducing the threat of the group now led by Minnie Manheim. Meanwhile, Manheim is meeting with Oswald Loomis and his protege, the new Prankster and they plot to kill Mayor White. At a baseball game where White is throwing out the first pitch, the ball he is using splits into hundreds and they are thrown at White, leading to Clark disappearing and saving him as Superman. Elsewhere, at Steelworks, Jon gets a visit from Mxyzptlk, saying the Fourth Dimensional demon Master Txyz is coming for Jon. At a ceremony in Centennial Park where Superman is getting another key to the city. The key is Kryptonite coated in gold paint and this forces Superman to go into his golden form to handle a renewed attack on Perry. As his powers fade, one of White’s security team saves him; injured but alive and Superman insists he get the key to the city. Later, Clark reports on the attack, saying it was the result of antics from the Trickster, which enrages the Prankster who vows to kill Clark.

TITANS #31 by John Layman and Pete Woods. The Titans are spread out in different places to help evacuate the planet. Starfire has evacuated refugees to Tamaran, Beast Boy, Beast Girl and the Doom Patrol are with another group on a distant planet, while Nightwing and Raven have brought evacuees to Gemworld. Donna and Roy have stayed on Earth and are battling Grail and her Parademon horde, who offers Donna a chance to become her new ward. She refuses and Roy takes a direct hit from Grail and Donna confesses her feelings for him, as Grail says Donna needs to join her or Roy will die. On Gemworld, Raven confronts Jinx, who Raven attempts to recruit to help Dick, but she refuses, leading to Raven attempting to convince Terra to help. Terra helps but immediately betrays the heroes to seize control of Gemworld..

WONDER WOMAN #29 by Tom King and Jeff Spokes. Diana, fresh from her recent battle with Mouse Man, goes to Themyscira and deals with insecurities about truly being able to protect her sisters or her daughter. At the insistence of her sisters, she leaves baby Elizabeth with the Wonder Girls: Donna, Cassie, and Yara. Yara gets the idea to show the baby, who is refusing all nourishment, combat between her sisters. During their interactions, things get heated, going from “play fighting” to real violence. Nubia believes that something is compelling the Wonder Girls to behave this way and believe that Elizabeth is the source of whatever is affecting them. Nubia steps between them and stops the battle, believing the person responsible must be Eris, the Goddess of Strife. Hiding in the shadows, Eris watches, believing Elizabeth is  the catalyst to start conflict between the Amazons.