More first issues and a special one or two

ABSOLUTE CARNAGE AVENGERS #1 by Leah Williams, Zac Thompson and Alberto Alburqurque.  As part of Marvel’s newest event, there are a bunch of mini-series that tie in. The team tries to stop Carnage from going after them and getting back the little pieces of the symbiote that has ended up inside them over the years. In the end, they take down beacons which call to Carnage and all of this leads to VENOM #19. Only for die-hard completists.

ABSOLUTE CARNAGE MILES MORALES #1 by Saladin Ahmed and Federico Vincentini. In the continuing tie-ins, Miles gets taken over by part of the Carnage/Norman Osborn symbiote. Our displaced hero tries his best to fight but, in the end, is taken over. This is the first of three issues which, I’m sure, will result in no changes in the Marvel Universe.

ABSOLUTE CARNAGE SCREAM #1 by Cullen Bunn and Gerardo Sandoval. Scream is reborn and now contains parts of those who previously were Scream. It’s three issues that will lead to a new series…because Marvel needs more symbiote titles.

AMAZING MARY-JANE #1 by Leah Williams and Carlos Gomez. Mary-Jane has an opportunity to get back into acting and gets a gig on a Spider-Man film. But she finds out that Quentin Beck, AKA Mysterio, is actually the director. What to do? Well, the new Secret Six is coming to town and that could be even bigger troubles. This is a syrupy mess and strikes me as just a cash grab. The art is nice but the story hasn’t decided if it’s an adventure tale or a love story. Thanks…but no thanks.

ANNIHILATION SCOURGE ALPHA #1 by Matthew Rosenberg and Juanan Ramirez. Trouble is brewing in the Negative Zone and that brings Blastaar and Annihilus together to try and stop it. The Revengers show up and now things get desperate. Annihilus comes to the Positive Zone where he meets up with a very dunk Richard Ryder and Cosmo the Space Dog, asking for help. Meanwhile, Blastaar is left to battle the leader of the Revengers-The Sentry? Wow! I’m not sure where this is going, but it runs through four one shots and an OMEGA issue before this space saga is resolved. A little confusing, but nice to see some classic characters back. And what’s with a drunk Nova playing straight man to a space dog?

ARCHIE 55 #1 by Brian Augustyn, Mark Waid and Tom Grummett. In the continuing mini-series set in different times and timelines, Archie Comics brings us this tale of Archie and the allure of rock and roll fame in the Fifties. It touches on all the buttons including race relations of the time. Augustyn and Waid do a fine job with the story and Grummett knocks it out of the park with his art style. Personally, I love what Archie has done. Can’t wait until the get to the Sixties!

CONAN THE BARBARIAN EXODUS #1 by Esad Ribic. Here’s an unusual book for unusual tastes. Ribic has created a book which relies almost totally, except for some dialogue in an unknown and untranslatable language, on the visual. Ribic’s work is beautiful, but don’t expect an easy read with this as, again, it is a visual tale.

CONTAGION #1 by Ed Brisson and Roge Antonio. Another Marvel mini-series here. This five week romp is all about a mysterious disease which is taking over and possessing some of Marvel’s greatest heroes. So the team-up begins. Featuring The Thing, Iron Fist and more, this is a nice throwback to the classic age of Marvel where a bunch of heroes get together and fight a seemingly unstoppable enemy. With a bit of the horror element tossed in, I enjoyed the heck out of issue #1 and plan on being here to see how this whole somewhat silly thing turns out.

CRAZY #1 by a whole host of Marvel creators. Resurrecting a classic title of the Seventies, Marvel dips its’ toes into the MAD MAGAZINE realm of humor, but mixed into the Marvel vein. Most are one page bits, some are four panels only. If you were a fan of the old CRAZY or even going back as far as NOT BRAND ECCH, you’ll enjoy this. While not a cool as those classic runs, it is nice to see and a nice attempt at bringing bck that magic.

DCEASED: A GOOD DAY TO DIE #1 by Tom Taylor, Lara Braga and Darrick Robertson. Tying in to the current DCEASED mini-series, Mister Miracle, Big Barda, Mr. Terrific and more team up to try to control the devastating zombie outbreak. Constantine gets involved and well…you can only imagine what happens. It’s blood, guts, zombies and magic. DCEASED is one of the surprise hits of the last few months and this one-shot ties in perfectly. Fans of an alternate universe DC horror tale will love this!

DEADPOOL #1 by Kelly Thompson and Chris Bachalo. Monsters have taken over Staten Island and Deadpool is hired to kill the King of Monsters. When he does, HE becomes the King of Monsters and that’s when the hilarity begins. It’s edgy, violent, and typically Deadpool funny. The art is great, if you’re  fan of Bachalo’s style and the jokes are just dirty enough to work. Throw in Kraven the Hunter and Eliza Bloodstone and you have a riot filled title. You either love Deadpool or hate him but this one hits the right notes.

DOCTOR DOOM #1 by Christopher Cantwell and Salvador Larroca. Victor Von Doom has gone through a lot in the last few years, from being the ruler of Battleworld to becoming Iron Man and more. Well, Doc is back in Latveria and on the run from every government agency and superhero on the planet.  The story is engaging and the art is great. I expected this to be just a cheap cash grab but was totally surprised about how much fun it was. Looking forward to a continued read with this.

THE DOLLHOUSE FAMILY #1 by Mike Carey, Peter Gross and Vince Locke. Joe Hill’s line of horror comics come to light with this first title. It’s a true throwback to the good old days of horror books with some creepy stuff going on and a murder in the end. It's dark and twisted with some nice notes throughout. Also included is the first chapter of SEA DOGS by Hill and Dan McDaid. It’s a dark tale that is a nice first entry to the line. I’m curious to see where this line goes next.,

EXCALIBUR #1 by Tini Howard and Marcus To. Krakoa is the place to be now if you’re a mutant and Betty Bradock is the star here, having been given the reigns as the new Captain Britain. But a war is breaking out in the Otherworld and her brother Brian is missing. With a host of familiar mutants in tow, including Gambit, Rogue and Jubilee, she sets about making things right. It’s an interesting title which has a bit of the old Excalibur feel to it but not enough to really get me excited. Hopefully, further issues will set that right.

FALLEN ANGELS #1 by Bryan Hill and Szymon Kudranski. The X titles continue to roll out and this one features Psylocke, Cable and X-23. With Psylocke trying to find her place in the hearts and minds of her fellow mutants, it’s an uphill climb for certain. Hill’s story is fine, setting up future details but Kudranski’s art is the highlight. What makes this new series of series confusing is that they not only tie to each other, but they also hve a specific reading order. For those keeping track, this is the sixth title and, believe it or not, they do all tie together an have a specific timeline in relation to each other.

FANTASTIC 4 2099 #1 by Karla Pacheco and Steven Cummings. In 2099, the world is change and a woman named Venture has met up with H.E.R.B.I.E. the Robot, who sends her on a mission to find his family. This leads to a full-length adventure where four people with Cosmic Ray powers are brought together. But H.E.R.B.I.E. isn’t happy in the end and the twist ending was a huge bummer. This spins out of 2099 ALPHA #1 which introduced Venture and others. How this all fits together is a mystery at the moment but, based on the twist ending, I found this a tough book to enjoy.

GHOST SPIDER #1 by Seanan McGuire and Takeshhi Miyazawa. Ghost Spider, previously known as Spider Girl, is Gwen Stacy from Earth-65. Among her super powers, she can move from Earth-65 to Earth-616, which means she gets to spend time on the true Marvel world. That also means she gets to interact with Marvel heroes, like Spider-Man. And when she enrolls in school on Earth-616, that just means crossing paths with Miles Warren. And. If that wasn’t enough, there is the Miles Warren from Earth-65. I haven’t spent much time with the previous SPIDER-GIRL title, but found this engaging although Miyazawa’s Manga styled art is a little jarring at first

GHOST RIDER #1 by Ed Brisson and Aaron Kuder. Johnny Blaze, the original Ghost Rider(excluding the old Western hero) is currently the King of Hell. But that doesn’t men there aren’t denizens looking to dethrone him. So Johnny takes a temporary powder and comes back to Earth, where he meets u with Ghost Rider #2 Danny Ketch. And since Blaze has gone power mad, that means Ketch is probably going to have to climb back into the fight. When it comes to this supernatural hero, these are my two favorite versions. So…one good and two better?

GWENPOOL STRIKES BACK #1 by Leah Williams and David Baldeon. Gwen Poole came to the Marvel Universe from the “real” world and decided to not be an extra in someone’s else’s book. So she donned a costume and went on to star in a series of adventures in her own twenty-five issue series, plus a bunch of one-shots. But now she’s back and, with a ton of fourth-wall breaks, she’s about to cause a ton of mischief. And a lot of fourth-wall breaks. This is just a dumb, fun book that only highlights the attraction to this girl, resulting in tons of cosplays at Cons.

HARLEEN #1 by Stjepan Sejic. Harleen Quinzel has a new origin story in this oversized mini-series in the DC Black Label line. Harleen is a therapist and runs across the Joker during one of his escapades. Despite the chaos, he lets her live and, of course, they cross paths later when he is in Arkham. It’s all a bit of a twist on an old story, but the artwork is great. It’s nice, but a tad pricey.

HE-MAN AND THE MASTER OF THE MULTIVERSE #1 by Tim Seeley and Dan Fraga. What in the world is this? Selley takes the comfortable world of Eternia and turns it not only upside but sideways. Wait: Skeletor gets killed by a dark He-Man and the

Multiverse of He-Men show up to band together. Weird…too weird for me.

KING THOR #1 by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic. With the current THOR title on hiatus, Aaron writes his final Thor tale and teams up with Ribic to bring the story to life. It’s in the far future where King Thor and his grand-daughters, previously introduced in the last Aaron run on THOR. And as expected, it plays off of that run and yes-Loki is still the rotten guy he has always been. It’s Aaron’s alleged definitive take on the future Thor and Ribic’s art is spectacular.

MARAUDERS #1 by Gerry Duggan and Matteo Lolli. Mutants have made Krakoa their ne home. Arrival and departure is easy by way of a series of gates throughout the island. But Kitty, now known as Kate, Pryde is having problems using a gate to get there. So she commandeers a boat and goes on a mission with a team looking to bring mutant refugees to Krakoa. Along the way, she gathers a sword and this becomes a swashbuckling tale. With a host of familiar mutants in tow, including Storm, Iceman, Nightcrawler and Pyro, she sets about making things right. This may not be the best of the new X titles, but it is a bunch of silly fun. C’mon: Kitty as a pirate?

MARVEL COMICS #1000 by over 100 legendary creators. In celebration of Marvel’s 80^th anniversary, this huge, $10 title comes out, highlighting the heroes of the Marvel Universe. These one page tales begin in 1939 with the creation of the original Human Torch and stops at every year until 2020 where the promise of who the Masked Rider is will be revealed. The creator list is too huge to list here, but creators include some of the biggest and best over the decades. This is a nice tribute to the empire we know as Marvel. And the bread crumbs for future events is a nice touch too.

MARVEL COMICS #1001 by a lot of creators. Just because…we get a second dose. Where the previous issue was filled with stops throughout 80 years, this is just a collection of one page hero moments. Not as moving as the previous, but still a nice collection of moments by some of the greats for half the size and half the price.

MARVEL MONSTERS #1 by Cullen and a host of artists. Kid Kaiju gets his hands on the Mobster Book and that leads to a book filled with informative pin-ups. Dynamite looking art and a great book if you’re a completist who loves handbook style books.

MORBIUS THE LIVING VAMPIRE #1 by Vita Ayala and Marcelo Ferreira. Michael Morbius, long-suffering vampire of the Marvel Universe is back in his own series and, for me, it’s long overdue. Right off the bat, we get The Melter and then the action goes off from there. Filled with all the angst you would expect, as our hero tries to cure himself, we get action, soul searching and a surprise visitor looking to kill him. While I wanted a bit more story, what we got lays down some nice bread crumbs for the future. Not perfect by any sense, it is a decent start and I want this book to just get better. We can only hope.

NEW MUTANTS #1 by Ed Brisson, Jonathan Hickman and Rod Reis. Here’s the good news: despite everything they have been through, the old team is back together. We’re talking Karma, Wolfsbane, Mondo, Cypher, Mirage, Sunspot, Chamber and Magik. And they’re back in their classic uniforms too! Right off the bat, they end up in space and cross paths with the senior Summers and his Starjammers. That can’t be good. This title is a bit on the light side, relying on a lot of quippy dialogue and a smattering of action. It has potential but, at the moment, I find it the weakest of the six new titles.

NEW MUTANTS WAR CHILDREN #1 by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz. Two of the timeless creators from the NEW MUTANTS run of old come back for the wonderful one-shot. It is the classic team and it looks fantastic. The plot is pure Claremont and Sienkiewicz proves he still has his stuff. This is a great throwback to the Eighties in look and feel. If you were a fan of that amazing run, you’ll love this.

PUNISHER KILL KREW #1 by Gerry Duggan and Juan Ferreyra. During the recent War of the Realms, Frank Castle couldn’t save one man’s family. So he is on a mission to find the killer and avenge them. This leads to an all-out bloodbath as Frank puts a team together to get the job done. Just a fun, bloody book. The story is pretty straight up and Ferreyra brings it in the art category.

SANDMAN UNIVERSE: HELLBLAZER #1 by Simon Spurrier and Marcio Takara. Eberyone’s favorite conniving magician, John Constantine, is coming back to the dark corner of the DC Universe. But this time he finds himself in the Black Label, formerly Vertigo, side of the fence, which means he can be as dark and foul-mouthed as we want him to be. Of course, to get to that next place, he needs to deal with some personal demons that haunt him. And he has a mission: kill Tim Hunter. That’s what will tie him into the Sandman Universe. While I really want an adult themed Hellblazeer book, I’m not a fan of the rebooted Sandman themed titles. So, for me, it’s one and done.

SPAWN #300 by Todd McFarlane, Scott Snyder, Jason Shawn Aexander, Greg Capullo, J. Scott Campbell, and Jerome Opena. I haven’t read an issue of SPAWN since issue #100, but being that this book TIES Dave Sim’s record for most published creator owned titles, it’s sort of a big deal. Being that I haven’t read an issue since #100, I have no clue what’s going on! That being said, it reads well, each chapter looks nice and it leads to new beginnings and ties-up old storylines.

SPIDER-MAN #1 by J.J. Abrams, Henry Abrams and Sara Pichelli. In the old days, we would call this an “imaginary story”. Mary Jane dies in a battle that costs Spidey his arm and that leads to his retirement. But his son Benjy eventually discovers he has powers and one thing leads to another. Abrams and company do a nice job of bringing back te feel of a young hero seeing thigs with awe and wonder.

SPIDER-VERSE #1 by Hed MacKay, Juan Figeri, Stacey Lee, Arthur Adams, James Harren, Dike Ruan and Sheldon Vella. Miles Morales ends up back in the Spider-Verse and that means a trip through a multitude of Earths along the way. In a number of chapters by a host of artists, he crosses paths with the Spidr Gang, Spider Monster, Lord Spider, Spider Punk, Spider Zero and Annie May. It’s a wild, weird ride if you want to take it!

STRIKEFORCE #1 by Tini Howard and German Peralta. A supernatural team made up of Blade, Angela, Spectrum, Winter Soldier, Spider Woman, Wiccan and the Son of Satan. What could be better? How about the writing. The dialogue is clunky and the plot just limps along. Peralta’s art is okay, but these heroes need more dynamic style. I was so looking forward to this title, but it turns but to be a big bummer.

2099 ALPHA #1 by Nick Spencer and Viktor Vogdanovic. Marvel’s next big crossover seeks to reboot the 2099 Universe. It’s been brewing in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN and now spills over here. Over the two months, we’ll get one-shots featuring the Fantastic Four, Conan, The Punisher, Ghost Rider, Venom, Doom and Spider-Man. The story is a bit hard to follow, but it’s all about the future, who rules and who is here to be the heroes of the future. Spencer spins a nice story and, with all the plot threads woven here, it’ll be interesting to see what happens next. I assume the payoff will come in the OMEGA issue at the end of December, but the one-shots in between could be fun.

VENGEANCE OF VAMPIRELLA #1 by Thomas Sniegoski and Michael Sta. Maria. Twenty-five years ago, the sensation that was VENGEANCE OF VAMPIRELLA came to an end, leading to a whole host of spin-offs, some good and some awful.  Twenty-five years later and the man behind the original series picks it up where he left off. Mistress Nyx and the Lords of Chaos have taken over the Earth and humanity has been trying to just survive. That’s where we are at. If you were a fan of that original series, you need to add this to your pull list.

X-FORCE #1 by Benjamin Percy and Joshua Cassara. Every mutant team needs a team like this. X-Force has always been the gritty team in the X-Universe, doing the jobs that other teams won’t do. So who do you get? How about Wolverine, Beast, Black Tom, Colossus, Jean Gray and Domino. But what starts as a typical mission ends in disaster with the heart of the mutant universe falling in the end, leading to repercussions that will ripple through all of the X titles. This could, by far, be the best book in the X line! The story is full of twists and turns and the art works. It’s dark, gritty and filled with a ton of plot threads that ill play out in the months to come.

X-MEN #1 by Jonathan Hickman and Leinil Francis Yu. Coming out of HOUSE OF X and POWERS OF X, Hickman has set about recreating the X Universe, with this being the first of six titles debuting in October and November. It’s a new world and a new team made up of Cyclops, Storm, Polaris, Magneto, Dr. Reyes, Jean, Havok, Vulcan, Wolverine, Cable, Prestige and Corsair. And of course, Professor X. This is a new team with a new agenda. As with all of Hickman’s work, it’s some deep, heady stuff.

DC UNIVERSE Month 23, part 2

JUSTICE LEAGUE #33 by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Bruno Redondo and Daniel Sempere. The Monitor, Anti-Monitor and World Forger face off with Lex and Perpetua, forcing them to join together and becoming the Ultra Monitor. In 1941, our heroes head to Atlantis along with Aquaman, where they come across a captured Poseidon, the Legion of Doom and Vandal Savage with his Legionnaires Club. In the future, Kamandi goes for help while the Justice League is getting beat down by Brainiac One Million. Luckily, Kamandi fins some allies in the form of Batman Beyond and his friends.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #34 by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Bruno Redondo and Howard Porter. While Cheetah orders Poseidon to destroy Atlantis, John Stewart tells Vandal Savage everything about the future, leading Savage to agree to help the team. In the future, Brainiac One Million is about to destroy everything when Kamandi and his new allies arrive. Starman of the past reaches out to the Starman of the present and the future and manages to bring everyone together against Luthor and Perpetua. Despite that, Perpetua rises and promises the give the Anti-Monitor back his Anti-Life, getting him to her side. With the upper hand, she kills the Starman of the present.

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #16 by James Tynion IV, Alvaro Martinez Bueno and Fernando Blanco. Circe is holding Diana in another dimension while she tells her she needs Eclipso’s Black Diamond to gain ultimate power. Back in our world, Eclipso begs to be freed and Chimp and Khalid are forced to deal with a mutated Man-Bat. Constantine shows up to find that Swamp Thing has gone to find Abby. When all seems dark, Zatanna brings Diana back. But it’s really Circe in disguise. The world is changing and that’s because of Perpetua’s symbol appearing.

JUSTICE LEAGUE ODYSSEY #14 by Dan Abnett, Cliff Richards and Crisscross. Jessica and her team head off to Sepulkore looking for the Eskaton. Her biggest gripe is who Okkult is. After much arguing, Blackfire blasts Okkult and reveals he is Orion of the New Gods. In the end, the Eskaton has found them.

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES: MILLENIUM #2 by Brian Michael Bendis, Ryan Sook, Nicola Scott, Jim Cheung, and Jeff Dekal. Rose continues to travel through time. She runs into Michael Jon Carter, who decides to become a superhero. Then, further along, she crosses paths with OMAC.  She continues further through time, finally ending up at the Legion of Superheroes, where she tells them that she has a lot to tell them about.

LOIS LANE #4 by Greg Rucka and Mike Perkins. Renee Montoya and Vic Sage try to figure out their relationship, especially since Vic is supposed to be dead. Over in England, police visit a suicidal girl and find evidence of Leviathan’s influence. Jon reveals to Lois that he’s going to the future. Later, Renee and Vic meet with Lois, who reveals that she knew Vic was alive and never

METAL MEN #1 by Dan Didio and Shane Davis. Will Magnus has created the Metal Men many times, as they die and get reborn. What Gold has found is the remains of all those Metal Men, forcing Magnus to reveal that they are all parts of his psyche. In the end, a discovery is revealed.

NIGHTWING #65 by Dan Jurgens and Ronan Cliquet. Ric faces off against William Cobb, who explains he is Ric’s great grandfather. Perpetua’s symbol appears and a distracted Ric is compromised by Cobb, becoming a Talon in the process.

NIGHTWING ANNUAL #2 by Dan Jurgens and Travis Moore. Richard Grayson’s time after being shot is recalled. He was taken to a hospital, where he was placed in a medically induced coma. Upon awakening, he did not know his Bat family. Throughout, we see Richard meeting with Dr. Haas: the specialist that Bruce Wayne flew in from Switzerland. His clearest memory is his visiting old relatives in Bludhaven during Thanksgiving. In the end, it is revealed his relatives were members of the Court of Owls and so is Dr. Haas.

RED HOOD OUTLAW #39 by Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort. Red Hood’s new team battles Monster Arm and his team while Hood watches. They finally defeat the team and ask Doomsday Jr. to join them. Back in the Quantum Place, Pup-Pup explains how he is alive because of Chairzarro’s A.I. They get transported to Mexico and see Perpetua’s symbol, as Pup-Pup keeps hearing the word “Doom” in his mind.

SUPERGIRL #35 by Marc Andreyko and Eduardo Pansica. At the Fortress of Solitude, the new Brainiac creates a new body for himself, but it is defective. In the process, he destroys Kelex. Elsewhere, Kara reunited with Jeremiah but finds Eliza is dead. As they leave, they are ambushed by one of Leviathan’s followers. Based on the attacker’s moves, Jeremiah realizes he is fighting Eliza. Leviathan tells Supergirl they should work together, but she retaliates, leading to the attackers to transport away. Supergirl gets a distress signal from the Fortress and she flies there, seeing Perpetua’s symbol in the process. As she enters, she sees Kelex and is approached by…?

SUPERMAN #16 by Brian Michael Bendis and David Lafuente. Damian has a strange reunion with a grown-up Jon. They team up for one last set of adventures before Jon meets with his father and then heads off to the future.

SUPERMAN’S PAL JIMMY OLSEN #4 by Matt Fraction and Steve Leiber. He reveals to Lois that Timmy Olsen has become an Internet sensation, angering Batman and others in the process. He explains to Lois that his family screwed over the Luthor’s back in the day before his family became really rich. He also reveals that the whole bit with him destroying Luthor’s valued statue, along with everyone that has been murdered, has manipulated by Luthor, including the assassination attempt on Jimmy. So now he’s pissed off Lex and Batman and now he’s signaling for Superman.

TALES FROM THE BLACK MULTIVERSE: BATMAN KNIGHTFALL #1 by Scott Snyder, Kyle Higgins and Javi Fernandez. Tempus Fuginaut takes us to a world where Batman is broken by Azrael, who takes over the role in a cruel way. Although he has killed Batman he has been kept in some sort of life and visited once a year by Azrael. Later, Jason Todd frees him and starts an uprising along with the son of Bane. In the end, Azrael is defeated by a revitalized Bruce, who plans on using his pent-up anger to continue his fight.

TALES FROM THE BLACK MULTIVERSE: THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN #1 by Jeff Loveness and Brad Walker. Tempus Fuginaut takes us to a world where Superman dies, but The Eradicator gives Kryptonian energy to Lois. She proceeds to do what Superman could not, righting wrongs with a vengeance and killing Lex Luthor. She proceeds to Gotham where she kills The Joker and, after a confrontation, killing Batman. She then goes after Superboy and Steel. The Cyborg Superman arrives and he kills Superboy and Steel. The real Superman, miraculously reborn, arrives and is killed again, this time by the Cyborg Superman. Lois becomes The Eradicator; the Dark Avenging Angel of the Multiverse.

TEEN TITANS #35 by Adam Glass and Bernard Chang. Roundhouse stole Djinn’s ring and explains how Robin’s fight with a bad guy some time back resulted in his sister’s death and his transformation, thus his wanting revenge. Robin says he can forgive Roundhouse and that just angers him and he traps Djinn in her ring. Crush loses it and beats on Roundhouse, before everyone notices Perpetua’s symbol in the sky.

THE TERRIFICS #21 by Gene Luen Yang and Stephen Segov. The team continues to make their way through the Eighties, crossing paths with the Rocket Red Squad along the way. In the end, Perpetua’s symbol lights the sky.

WONDER TWINS #8 by Mark Russell and Mike Norton. A high school reunion may result in the principal finally getting together with his lost love. Meanwhile, Polly tries a prison break which Jayna stops. In the end, she informs Polly that she believes her father is still alive.

WONDER WOMAN #80 by G. Willow Wilson, Jesus Merino and Tom Derenick. While everyone deals with the loss of love, Diana gets a package from Veronica Cale containing her scientist's formula. Diana battles Cheetah and splashes the formula on the God Killer. But her turns out Cale was in cahoots with Cheetah and the formula is ineffective. Cheetah has a demand: take her to Themyscira or everyone dies.

WONDER WOMAN #81 by G. Willow Wilson and Tom Derenick. Perpetua’s symbol has appeared, meaning Doom has won. Atlantiades convinces Steve to help Diana just before she becomes the new God of Love. She and Steve arrive at the battle between Cheetah and Wonder Woman, giving her armor and weapons to defeat Cheetah and destroy God Killer.  Atlantiades takes Cheetah to an eternal prison and, with love restored, all is well again...except for the relationship between Steve and Diana. Cheetah promises revenge on Cale before she is visited by a trio looking to free her from their prison.

WONDER WOMAN ANNUAL #3 by Steve Orlando and V. Ken Marion. Twelve years ago, Wonder Woman saved Helen Paul from a group of terrorists who killed her parents. She grows up and becomes one of A.R.G.U.S.’ best, accompanying Steve and Diana in an adventure in Gorilla City to bring peace. In the present, Leviathan visits her and says her past was a lie by Diana. It seems her parents WERE the terrorists and A.R.G.U.S. killed them. Helen Paul is really descended from a group that had a feud with the Amazons. Helen Paul is actually Paula Van Gunther and she becomes the Warmaster.

YOUNG JUSTICE #9 by Brian Michael Bendis, Andre Lima Araujo and John Timms. In the past, Keli Quintela is a smart girl from Bolivia who discovered a gauntlet and backpack that turned her into Teen Lantern. In the now, the team still struggles to survive on Earth-3 before discovering a map of the Multiverse which may help to get them home.

DC UNIVERSE Month 24, Part 1

ACTION COMICS #1016 by Brian Michael Bendis and Szymon Kudranski. While Superman was getting beat up by Red Cloud, he had an ally coming to save the day-Naomi. Red Cloud leaves and Superman takes Naomi back to her parents, where Batman is also there. In the end, Mr. Strong and Leone discuss Red Cloud's new powers thanks to Lex and Leone decides that it’s time to go to war.

AQUAMAN #53 by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Robson Rocha and Eduardo Pansica. Someone has trashed the statues in Atlantis and that pisses Mera off. Aquaman speaks with Tristram Maurer, who tells his origin story. Aqualad reveals that Maurer is really the creature that killed Ralph. Maurer claims he is here because he was summoned. Later, Manta attacks, even as Mera and her followers have come to Amnesty Bay. Manta has been powered up by Luthor and plans on taking revenge.

AQUAMAN ANNUAL #2 by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Vita Ayala and Victor Ibañez. The town is preparing for the annual Founder’s Day Festival. But first, Aqualad and Aquaman must fight a guy who calls himself Sea Daddy. The Festival grounds get trashed and Salty the dog disappears, leading to Aquaman having to search for him. In the process, Aquaman mistakes Loc for being a dog eater and accuses Atabey of being crazy because she thinks some market fish is rotten. In the end, Atabey was right and all Loc was trying to do was teach Salty to swim. The festival finally goes off, even though Perpetua’s symbol still lights the sky.

BATGIRL #40 by Cecil Castellucci and Carmine Digiandomenico. Burnside is in flames, Perpetua’s symbol lights the sky and the new Oracle is on the hunt. Frankie makes her way to Barbara’s apartment and fires up the old computer system, which acts as a beacon to Oracle. Oracle makes her way in, finds the Oracle back-up and begins to download it. Batgirl arrives and the two fight. The download is complete and Oracle is devastated, wondering how Barbara could do this to her. She threatens to kill Frankie, leading to Batgirl seemingly jumping to her death to save her.

BATMAN #80 by Tom King and John Romita Jr. Professor Pyg and Two-Face stop a man they accuse of breaking curfew but, even after pumping some bullets in him, the man doesn’t die. When he knocks out Two-Face, he reveals a bat symbol on his chest. Hugo Strange meets with Thomas Wayne, who declares that Batman has returned. Elsewhere, Mad Hatter is prepared to kill a stray cat when a long whip wraps around him. Later, Batman faces off with Kite Man and then Hush. Thomas meets with Gotham Girl, who is very sick. Ventriloquist tells Thomas that Bane wants Damian killed and he puts a gun to the kid’s head.

BATMAN #81 by Tom King and John Romita Jr. Thomas decides he can’t kill Damien because he is family. The rest of the Bat-Family shows up and beats on him. Huntress shoots an arrow at him, but he catches it and plunges it into Tim Drake’s chest. Thomas manages to beat down the family and then gets some tea, declaring he is The Batman. Batman and Catwoman beat down some more villains and head to Arkham, where Batman reveals he had an inside man. It turns out the Joker is really Clayface. In the end, Perpetua’s symbol lights the sky.

BATMAN ANNUAL #4 by Tom King, Jorge Fornes and Mike Norton. This annual features tales of Batman from Alfred’s diary.

BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #6 by Bryan Hill and Dexter Soy. Jefferson calls Bruce and tells him "mission accomplished". Elsewhere, Duke and Cass face Ishmael, who beats them down before heading off. They follow Ishmael, ending up in an underground bunker where Lady Shiva is waiting with the body of Karma.  Ishmael takes Duke away while Cass blames herself for everything.

BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS ANNUAL #1 by Bryan Hill and Max Raynor. Katana tells Jefferson of the evil demon Tsutomo who resides in Katana’s sword and is after revenge against Maseo. They meet with an old friend from her past who explains Katana must die to enter the sword and fight the demon. She performs seppuku and that sends her spirit into the Soultaker. While she battles Tsutomo, demon minions battle Black Lighting, who is protecting her body. She defeats the demon and revves just in time to save Jefferson.

BATMAN BEYOND #37 by Dan Jurgens and Sean Chen. Terry is still lost and confused, but it appears a new Batman has arrived. Or, more specifically, Batwoman/ Bruce and Matt know who it is…or do they? Is it Melanie Walker or Barbara Gordon? In the end, Blight is back.

BATMAN/SUPERMAN #3 by Joshua Williamson and David Marquez. Superman has allowed himself to be poisoned with Joker Toxin to go undercover with the Batman Who Laughs. Although the Batman Who Laughs is aware that Superman is just a ploy and won’t reveal who the Secret Six are, he does reveal that Jim Gordon is infected. Batman goes after Gordon, who taunts Batman before unleashing his Bat Robot. Luckily Superman arrives and they take Gordon down. At the Fortress of Solitude, Blue Beetle Jaime Reyes shows up and shows that he is one of the Secret Six

BLACK ADAM YEAR OF THE VILLAIN #1 by Paul Jenkins and Inaki Miranda. Shazam has been possessed and he’s gone to Kahndaq. Along the way, Shazam taunts Black Adam and threatens the people of Kahndaq, leading to a battle. Just when Black Adam seems defeated, he tricks Shazam and, through the power of the resident’s prayers, Shazam transforms back into Billy. In the end, Shazam flees and it shows Black Adam is all about his people.

CATWOMAN #16 by Joelle Jones. Catwoman is beaten and bloody at the Lazarus Pit, apparently at the hands of Raina Creel and her followers. We get transported several weeks after to a birthday party where she beats up some of Creel. Back in the past, before the Pit incident, she gets visited by Luthor with The Offer. At the Pit, Selina enters and it looks like she is reborn as her old self in her original costume. Over Villa Hermosa, Perpetua’s symbol appears.

DEATHSTROKE #48 by Christopher Priest and Carlo Pagulayan. Deathstroke survived death because he was infected by Leprosy given to him by Raptor, which kicked his immune system into overdrive. He then took a job as a temp in a hospital and went off to take down the bad guys who caused the eventual death of a young boy, Now he’s back looking for his son, who accepted Luthor’s offer. He visits his daughter before ending up at his ex-wife’s house, where he kills her husband and breaks her arm. In the end, he tells her to get their son here, but then Perpetua’s symbol appears in the sky.

DETECTIVE COMICS #1013 by Peter J. Tomasi and Doug Mahnke. Batman tracks down Mr. Freeze, but Freeze defeats him after a lengthy citywide battle. Batman brings the frozen women back to the Batcave while Freeze injects his wife with a drug that brings her back to life.

DETECTIVE COMICS #1014 by Peter J. Tomasi and Doug Mahnke. Victor has brought Nora back to life and now she has the same malady as her husband. Bruce goes to Waynetech and meets with Lucius Fox. Suddenly, Freeze and Nora show up and freeze Bruce and Lucius to the ground. Victor used to work for Waynetech and left a purposely mislabeled compound there, which would allow Nora to exist without a suit. In the end, Nora gets to dance ballet again and now they prepare to change the world…with Perpetua’s help.

DIAL H FOR HERO #8 by Sam Humphries, Joe Quinnones and Paulina Ganucheau. Robby Reed was a hero, but even he couldn’t save his grandfather from death. So he travels to the Heroverse and discovers the Y-Dial. The Operator is nearing the end of his life and convinces Reed to use it to gain more power. In the process, he splits into two people-the Operator and Captain Thunderbolt. They fight at length before Reed bans him, leading him to Earth as a spirit who has managed to convince people to go after the H Dial. Now with one piece of the puzzle, he is poised to get the other parts and take over the Multiverse.

EVENT LEVIATHAN #5 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. Lois meets with Elongated Man, Zatanna, Constantine, Harvey Bullock, Renee Montoya, and Deathstroke, with the group believing Sam Lane is Leviathan. She visits her father, who says he believes Leviathan is right. She kidnaps him from the hospital, taking him to a cold winter location. Superman, with an unconscious Plastic Man in tow, is confronted by Leviathan and it appears Manhunter is Leviathan. Talia arrives and bemoans the fact they she has to save the world.

THE FLASH #80 by Joshua Williamson and Scott Kolins. Flash battles Black Flash and loses badly. Back at A.R.G.U.S., Barry reads up on Zoloman and discovers he was an FBI profiler and his profile on The Clown said that he didn’t use guns. Hunter Zoloman has captured Steadfast and tries to convince him to give up the Still Force. Steadfast refuses, as he knows that the Black Flash will come for Hunter if he does. Barry arrives and is beaten by Hunter, but Steadfast uses his powers, which Zoloman absorbs. Zoloman transports Barry into the Forever Force, explaining he is looking to die at the hands of the Black Flash. Black Flash arrives and sinks his claws into Barry. At the ruins of Iron Heights, Wally and Avery encounter the Rogues.

THE FLASH #81 by Joshua Williamson and Scott Kolins. Zoloman and Black Flash fight, with Hunter revealing he is doing this defeat the aspects of death that has followed him. Barry explains that Eobard Thawne caused the events that destroyed Hunter’s future. Barry comes up with a plan to fix the force barrier and asks Hunter to help. Hunter sacrifices himself to the Force Barrier and repairs it. Black Flash attacks Barry, but with the Force Barrier repaired, the Speed Force grows stronger. At Iron Heights, Kid Flash and Avery are captured by the Rogues. At the Fash Museum, there is lightning and an explosion. In the rubble, Iris finds Avery and Kid Flash. In the sky, the symbol of Perpetua appears.

THE GREEN LANTERN #12 by Grant Morrison and Liam Sharp. Hal faces off with the anti-matter version of himself. The Guardians try to help, even after being soundly defeated by Mr. Qwa. The anti-matter Sinestro shows up to help, but dies in the process. Hal destroys his evil twin and Chriselon is revealed to have been the Blackstar informant in disguise. At a key moment in the battle, Hal gets transported back to the Blackstars, where he is revealed to be the final piece of their Miracle Machine.

HARLEY QUINN #66 by Sam Humphries and Sami Basri. Harley is now the Angel of Retribution and that leads to a reunion with her dead mother, who tells her she must let her move on. This leads Harley to quit being the Angel of Retribution. Back at Coney Island, Harley gets back into reading her comics and sees a scene where she is with Booster Gold and the symbol of Perpetua appears.

HARLEY QUINN & POISON IVY #2 by Jody Houser and Adriana Melo. Harley and Ivy confront Woodrue, who learns that Ivy has had a power upgrade. They defeat Woodrue but all of Ivy’s plants are burned in the process. The duo hit the road and end up in the clutches of the Mad Hatter.

HAWKMAN #17 by Robert Venditti and Pat Olliffe. Hawkman battles Shadow Thief and his own shadow. He is severely beaten. But uses his mace to wound Shadow Thief. Everyone gets their shadows back and Hawkman prepares t kill Shadow Thief when Shade uses his power to stop him and transport him back to Earth. Once there, he is affected by anger and, as Per[etua’s symbol burns bright, Sky Tyrant lives again.

INFERIOR 5 #2 by Keith Giffen and Jeff Lemire. Lisa and Helen have made their way to Justin’s x-graffiti covered house. They explain to him that he’s Number Five when a monster named Angry Charlie/Billy arrives.  Angry Charlie is being controlled by Brother Power, The Geek.  Helen, who is a Durlan, transforms and fights Angry Charlie. Mid-battle, he is called away by the Dominators, being told that he is done for the day. Unknown to Justin, the attack has triggered his metagene, meaning the Dominators aren’t done with him or his mother yet. In the backup, The Peacemaker continues to think his helmet is talking to him. And  the KGBeast is stalking him.

THE JOKER YEAR OF THE VILLAIN #1 by John Carpenter, Anthony Burch and Philip Tan. One of the Joker’s henchmen, Jeremy, becomes Robin as Joker plays Batman and they fight crime in Bane’s Gotham. In the end, Joler recreates his most famous moment by beating his Robin with a crowbar.