DC UNIVERSE Month 83, Part 2

HARLEY QUINN #46 by Elliot Kalan and Mindy Lee. Harley continues her war against those that bother her and her neighbors, taking aim at the decline of neighborhood business because of people ordering online. This leads her into direct conflict with Convoy: the en-truckulated man. With the help of music provided by DJ Local hero, she defeats Convoy and saves the neighborhood stores, despite causing so much damage in the process. In the end, Althea Klang confronts her and promises to destroy her.

JSA #2 by Jeff Lemire and Diego Olortegui. In a flashback to one week ago, Jade, Dr. Mid-Nite, and Sand rescue attendees at a benefit event and have been held in a suspended state. Meanwhile, the other JSA members inform Jade that Kobra had broken into Ted Knight’s old observatory. Obsidian, actually a disguised Johnny Sorrow, suggests forming a strike team to go after Kobra. The Injustice Society breaks into the Brownstone and attacks, keeping Jakeem from summoning Thunderbolt and Khalid transports everyone to the Tower of Fate but he and Jakeem are left behind. In the end, in a replay of last issue, Jay finally finds the one door in the Tower that leads them back to the Brownstone but, as the door opens, they are greeted by Red Lantern, Doctor Elemental, and Solomon Grundy. And that is when Hawkman gets run through with a very long sword.

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #2 by Mark Waid and Dan Mora. A second team of Justice League members, made up of Star Sapphire, Mary Marvel, Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Black Lightning, and Dr. Occult, arrive to help Batman and Blue Beetle from the swarm of Parademons. Batman instructs them to split up to where they are most needed. While Black Lightning and Star Sapphire remain behind, Wonder Woman and Mary Marvel head off to handle the egg farm and Martian Manhunter and Dr. Occult search for the kidnapped children. Meanwhile, the Atoms have figured out a way to restore the original powers to the various heroes while Stargirl and Mr. Terrific continue to investigate the mysterious Inferno group. Dr. Occult and Martian Manhunter find the sentient Parademon who was sent to Earth long ago by Darkseid and has been kidnapping the children as an offering to Darkseid to bring him home. J’onn beats on the Parademon, which causes Dr. Occult to muse that J’onn has been adversely affected by the power switch.

METAMORPHO THE ELEMENT MAN #1 by Al Ewing and Steve Leiber. Metamorpho battles against Mister 3, who is trying to steal all of his secrets. He gets joined by the mysterious Element gal, agent of S.H.A.D.E., who we learn was once being handled by Mister 3 on the mission that turned her into Element Gal. The pair work together to stop Mister 3 and Element gal decides to stay on as Metamorpho’s backup. It’s a good thing as he is preparing for his own death as he investigates Project: Sunrise.

MILESTONE UNIVERSE: THE SHADOW CABINET #2 by Joseph Illidge, Daryl Banks, and Atagun Ilhan. Dharma reveals to Rocket that they were the world’s first superhero and their powers allowed the formation of The Shadow Cabinet. When she tells them they are doing an awful job, Rocket is informed that the Cabinet was responsible for sealing the time fissure that Metcalf had created. Despite an offer to join the Shadow Cabinet, she turns it down and leaves. She makes a side trip to visit Static, telling her that he has no need to leave his neighborhood and join whatever fight is coming. Elsewhere, Paris Island is under attack by the mysterious assassin and the Blood Syndicate takes a beating. But Wise Son gets transported to the home of the Shadow Cabinet where he is told he has to repay his debt to Dharma. Meanwhile, Angela Alva, with Transit by her side, engages in a full takeover of Alva Industries. Tashana invades Metcalf’s lab and takes him down, apparently repaying her debt to Dharma. She drags him to Alva’s and he is forced to meet with Angela Alva.

THE NEW GODS #1 by Ram V,  Evan Cagle and Jorge Fornes. With Darkseid’s death, there has become an imbalance of power in the universe. Metron delivers Highfather a prophecy regarding a special child born on Earth and Highfather sends Orion off on a special mission. Orion visits Scott Free who is struggling to maintain family life with Barda working for the Birds of Prey while also dealing with his newborn daughter Olivia. Orion explains that Highfather has tasked him to find this child and kill it within the next seven days. It is something he does not want to do and tells Scott to find the child and escape with it. Meanwhile, in India, Maxwell Lord’s mercenaries hunt a child named Kamal who apparently is the child Orion is tasked to kill as he reveals his power.

NIGHTWING #121 by Dan Watters and Dexter Soy. A young member of the Teddy Gang is dead and Dick meets with Olivia Pearse, asking her if she would be interested in having him invest in Spheric Solutions. While Barbara investigates Spheric, Dick meets with the Teddy gang, only to have that meeting interrupted by the upgraded police force. He leads the Teddy gang away and gets them into a satellite safe house. In the end, Barbara tells Dick that Olivia Pearse may actually be someone he met when he was Robin.

POISON IVY #28 by G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara. Icy continues to deal with the terrorists who think that she is the Green Knight and, when they begin to crowd her, she uses her power to put them to sleep. Back inn the deserted city, she encounters Xylon: a shepherd of the Grey, as she is told by the Bog Venus. She is also told that her actions have torn a rift between the Green and the Grey. Meanwhile, Janet and Croc awake at a knock on the door, as the pair have apparently had sex. Croc leaves and an embarrassed Janet stammers as Ivy tells her about the bog creature. She goes out to look for the creature and, when the fog lifts, she finds herself in Seattle.

POWER GIRL #16 by Leah Williams and Adrianna Melo. With Omen at death’s door, Power Girl battles against Electa. During the battle that takes them to the Fortress of Solitude, Ejecta reveals that Symbio infiltrated the Gamorra Compound before the Amazos were shut down and stole the powers of the Super Family, resulting in an upgrade to her own powers. She also reveals that she was always a homicidal maniac; even before Symbio got her. Power Girl ultimately defeats her with a Kalanorian rocket launcher and then violently beats her before sending her back to Symbio. Her adoptive father promises to rebuild her so no one can do this to her again. In the end, Omen, who had a miraculous recovery, and Power Girl move into a new headquarters.

THE QUESTION: ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER #2 by Alex Segura and Cian Tormey. Kenn Kawa of the Challengers has been gravely injured by a Thanagarian leopard and it happened in The Question’s bedroom. Security footage reveals that Batwoman was the person who allowed the creature in for the attack. That leads her to Nightshade’s Bar to find out if Kate had been acting unusually and discovering that, just about the time Conduit was taken down, Kate raced out of the place.  Elsewhere, Bulleteer is minding the Amory when a flash of light occurs followed by the appearance of The Eradicator. Renee goes to visit Kenn and finds Kate there, confronting her with the evidence. She says she remembers none of it and Kenn wakes, screaming how someone wants the secrets to the Atom Project. The Eradicator arrives and brawls with The Question, producing a Green Lantern ring at the same time. But he finds the ring is off as Blue Beetle and Bulleteer arrive, with the latter carrying a piece of Kryptonite that allows him to be subdued. Later, as Jaime monitors systems, he is called away and suddenly the Phantom Zone containment unit is disabled.

SHAZAM #18 by Josie Campbell and Emanuela Lupcchino. Finding herself trapped beneath Society Tower, Mary defends herself but is ultimately captured although Hoppy escapes. Georgia Sivana has managed to enhance herself with a combination of magic and technology and blasts Mary, disintegrating her. She then sends the robots out to attack the city. Meanwhile, on the Rock of Eternity, Billy and The Captain sense something has happened to Mary even as Darla calls and says that Freddy is attacking citizens including Uncle Dudley. The Captain arrives right before The Commander is ready to kill Dudley but The Commander attacks back, as he is still possessed by the Amber Lightning. Beau saves The Captain by getting him into her van and driving him away. Billy realizes The Captain is dying and he takes control of the body to allow The Captain to return to The Rock and heal himself. Billy insists that Beau take him back so he can save Freddy. As it turns out, Mary has been sent to a distant planet where she finds Georgia with a group of Venusian worms similar to Mr. Mind.

SUPERMAN #21 by Joshua Williamson and Dan Mora. Clark takes Lois on a date night that begins with them playing darts on the moon. He admits that he is distracted  by the Doomsday situation and also the effects of the Red Kryptonite dose from some time ago. Amethyst shows up asking for help because House Onyx has been invaded. Superman tries to fight the Onyx Army but Lois manages to broker the peace between the two factions. Lady Akira says that Onyx needs gems to make medicine. Resuming their date, a fleet of alien ships arrive, claiming they are The Aftermath. They demand that Doomsday is turned over to them or they will kill everyone on the planet. Elsewhere, Lex, still missing his memory, claims he can’t stop thinking about Mercy and presents her with her favorite coffee.

SUPERWOMAN SPECIAL #1 by Joshua Williamson, Edwin Galmon, Laura Braga, and Nikola Cizmesija. The story of jhow Lois became Superwoman is explained to Lara and Kara. During ABSOLUTE POWER, Lois put on a supersuit that was somehow connected to the Amazos. When the Amazos were defeated, Lois received a shock and passed out, later finding herself on the roof of the Daily Planet. With life back to normal, Lois goes back to work and, when she loses a pencil, she lifts a couch and discovers she has super powers. At Super Corp, she is scanned and finds that her cells have been super charged by the yellow sun, like Superman’s. After doing some super things, she meets with Clark and demonstrates her new power, later joining the whole Super family and surprising her son.

TITANS #18 by John Layman and Pete Woods. The Titans are moving into a new headquarters, affectionately dubbed Titans Tunnels as it is in New York City and 300 feet underground. While arguing among themselves, an alert comes in leading them into Manhattan where they see Mammoth and his sister Shimmer causing destruction, as she claims the Titans have been going after her. The work together to fight them with Gar, as an 800 lb. gorilla taking Shimmer out, leading to Mammoth begging the team not to kill her. Donna promises to fix whatever is wrong with her and Mammoth flees, promising to be back to get Shimmer. In the end, it appears the Clock King is behind this and that meets the approval of Deathstroke, who announces that the Crime Syndicate has been reformed and they have the power.

TWO-FACE #1 by Christian Ward and Fabio Veras. Harvey Dent, still dealing with both personalities within him, holds court in something he calls The White Church, where Zsasz is on trial for the murder of Anthony Reynolds: lieutenant in the Falcone Crime Family. Harvey proves that Zassz did not kill Reynolds but apparently Jimmy the Thin did. With the use of his coin, Harvey finds Jimmy guilty and kills him. In the end, he enlists Lake Cantwell to be a part of his new organization, even as he continues to try and keep Two-Face at bay inside his mind.

WONDER WOMAN #16 by Tom King, Khary Randolph, and Bruno Redondo. While Diana cares for her newborn daughter, Detective Chimp arrives at the home of the Sovereign to question what he might know about Steve’s murder. His questions are answered vaguely but that isn’t enough for Detective Chimp who spends the next few weeks pursuing and asking more questions and catching him in multiple lies. Realizing he has made one mistake too many, he sends Circe to Trevor’s office to steal back a key piece of evidence. But Chimp was prepared and. Along with The Spectre, she was interrogated, eventually revealing how the Sovereign was the secret King of America. That information is revealed to the world thanks to an exclusive news story by Clark Kent. In the backup, .the story is revealed. The Sovereign’s family used a magic lasso to convince the Founding fathers into thinking they were running a democracy when it was Sovereign’s family pulling the strings. Much of the information was gathered by Clark interviewing the Queen of America: the destitute older sister of the Sovereign, revealing that her brother killed their father and used the lasso to take control.

DC UNIVERSE Month 83, Part 1

ABSOLUTE BATMAN #3 by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta. In a flashback, Selina leads Bruce around Gotham, teaching him how to conquer his fear of heights. The pair eventually end up in a movie theater where Selina has arranged a screening of ZORRO, later being joined by their friends. In the present, the monstrous Batmobile, with Alfred atop it, races through Gotham while being pursued by the Party Animals. Alfred explains that he has been pursuing Roman Sionis who he believes is Black Mask and the leader of the Party Animals. He convinces Batman to take Black Mask’s deal to allow them both to investigate. Later, former Mayor Hill brings Chief Bullock to a meeting with Roman that would get Gotham Police vehicles and weapons to fight the Party Animals. Meanwhile, Bruce meets with Edward who has his own A.I. version of himself he has named Al, asking about how the masks on the Party Animals work. Edward calls Harvey, who reveals that Black Mask is funded by various criminals and cartels. It is also revealed that the newest project is called Ark M. and is a private prison.. With his mother taking the job of Deputy Mayor behind Mayor Gordon, Bruce accepts Black Mask’s offer.

ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN #2 by Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval. Six years ago, a young Kal-El is being criticized by his teacher for writing his own report instead of using the AI connected to the Science Leagues’ storehouse. In the present, Lois has handcuffed herself to Kal-El as he is surrounded by Peacemakers and Lazarus Corp soldiers. Kal’s suit, named Sol, uses a plasma tentacle to try to undo the cuffs while the soldiers decide to open fire, sacrificing Lois if needed. Sol unleashes something like a cape made of Kryptonian dust to shield Kal and Lois. Kal and Lois flee, eventually being shot down by a helitank, causing them to crash into a village church. As kal tends to the wounded with the Kryptonian dust, Lois observes, with him finally starting to tell her where he is from, just as the cuffs unlock and he flies away. Later, Lois writes her after action report and becomes frustrated how the Brainiac AI interpreted it. In the end, in a flashback, we see Kal’s parents inventing Sol. Finally, the Peacemakers massacre the villagers who Kal had just saved.

ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN #3 by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman. In the past, Diana teaches Steve how to defend against the hydra, telling the creature to choose peace so it can live. After he tells her about his home, she finds a spell in one of her mother’s books; a spell calling for a sacrifice. Later, she tells her mother that Steve’s appearance was a test and she has sacrificed by cutting off her right arm; the dominant arm of a warrior. In the present, Diana tells the troops that the Tetracide is resistant to magic and that it kills in four ways: death of fear, of mind, of body, and of soul. She orders them all to leave before they are killed. Steve wants to stay. Diana goes up against the Tetracide and fails to defeat it, losing the arm that she had replaced with with one created by magic. She replaces it with a metal arm and she again implores everyone to leave or be devoured. She runs into a woman named Barbara Minerva, instructing her to hide out with Steve and the others. Barbara refers to Diana as Wonder Woman, identifying Diana as an Amazon. Commandeering a television news broadcast, Diana tells the television audience she will be casting a spell to make them all deaf to protect them from the Tertacide.

ACTION COMICS #1078 by Mark Waid, Mariko Tamaki, Clayton Henry and Skylar Patridge. An alien ship is falling to earth and threatens to kill millions. The Super Family struggles to keep it in the air and do, but they find themselves falling to the ground only to be saved by the returning Kal-El. Later, mister Terrific informs them that there is something inside the sun that is causing the energy to be pulled from the sun. Superman, even in his weakened state, decides he is the only one who can enter the sun, so Nat and Mister Terrific set about to build him a super suit. Kal-El  decides that, to save lives, he will empty the Phantom Zone, which causes the ire of the head of Kandor’s Science Council who threatens to permanently exile him from Kandor if he does that. With the decision made, along with the Super Suit, he heads into the sun, only to find out that the Phantom Zone criminals have been free and at full power because of the yellow sun. In the backup, 8912 puts Supergirl to sleep and seizes control of the ship but Power Girl, back on Earth, senses it and uses her telepathy to pull her friend out of it. 8912 crashes the ship in an effort to commit suicide and then tries to get Supergirl to kill her. Supergirl asks who her brother is and she replies that he is ”death for all”.

ACTION COMICS #1079 by Mark Waid, Mariko Tamaki, Michael Shelfer, and Skylar Patridge. The freed Phantom Zone prisoners begin to rampage across Earth and the Super-Family, along with Justice League Unlimited, fight against them but find the only people able to slow them down are magic users. Batman orders Firestorm to start transforming Kryptonite but he does not know how. Two days later, Superman awakes in a lead mine in India with Jimmy and Mon-El. Mon-El explains the prisoners overpowered him when they escaped. They also attacked the Fortress and destroyed the Phantom Zone Projector. He also says he repurposed Aethyr’s sphere which allowed him to be both solid and phantom at the same time. Superman suggests getting Gold K but Mon-El reveals the prisoners already have it. The combined teams finally round up the prisoners and Firestorm outfits them with Kryptonite gauntlets. Those prisoners who took the Fortress get hit with Red K light and they are detained there. Despite this, some of the most dangerous Zoners are still on the loose and they are attacking places all across the galaxy. In the backup,  Supergirl attacks 8912’s brother but he is too strong for her. He attempts to take over 8912’s mind but Supergirl manages to get her free of his control. Supergirl attacks him and, even though he says she cannot defeat him alone, 8912 and Power Girl add their psychic abilities to her own.

ACTION COMICS #1080 by Mark Waid, Mariko Tamaki, Clayton Henry and Skylar Patridge. The Super-Family, along with the JLU, use handheld Phanton Zone Projectors to recapture the prisoners. Supergirl brings Kandor back to the moon and asks for their help but she is turned down and she is threatened with permanent exile. She leaves but warns them that the Zoners will come and the Super Family won’t be there to stop them. On Braal, Superman and Mon-El battle Jax-Ur, who pulls out the containment vessel for Gold K. Mon-El blocks it but it damages the circuitry that is keeping him alive. Superman sends Jax-Ur back into the Zone and he insists Mon-El also goes back but he refuses. Meanwhile, Xa-Du climbs out of the rift he was in on Rann and swears revenge on Superman. In the backup, 8912 becomes one with Supergirl with 8912’s brother saying they will fail. Supergirl realizes that 8912’s brother is an alternate personality of herself. He hits Supergirl and splits she and 8912 apart. Supergirl tells her that if they are truly one, she can control him. She grabs him and begins to reabsorb him.

ACTION COMICS #1081 by Mark Waid, Mariko Tamaki, Clayton Henry and Skylar Patridge. As the Super team figures how to fight against the Zone criminals, Mon-El insists on staying to fight, even as the lead poisoning eats away at him. Superman explains that although sending him back to the Phantom Zone feels more like a punishment, he promises to never stop fighting to find a cure for him. The Zone criminals arrive and overpower the Superman Family, waking up on an orbital platform that, when the criminals use their heat vision, will mimic the detonation of Krypton and they will all be transformed into beings of Kryptonite. A dimensional rift opens and a second Xa-Du appears, tossing the first one onto the platform and causing him to transform back into Martian Manhunter. The super team gets free and Superman fights with the real Xa-Du and the super team fire their heat vision at the platform, revealing it to be a Phantom Zone Projector that sends all the villains back where they came from. Back to the Fortress, Supergirl convinces the Science Council of Kandor to allow the possibility of parole to reformed inmates and also to allow Mon-El to be the warden. In the backup, 8912’s two personalities have merged, meaning she has killed and saved them at the same time. She rebuilds the courthouse and appoints the bailiff as the new judge, where he sentences 8912 to learn everything about the wrolds she destroyed. Supergirl reports to the Thanagar outpost, returning the contact lens she was given to erase people’s memories..

BATGIRL #2 by Tate Brombal and Takeshi Miyazawa. Batgirl and her mother continue to fight enemies, eventually escaping into the alleys of Gotham. Cass wants to call on the Batman Family but Lady Shiva convinces her to hold off for one more night. They go to the kitchen of Ba Bao seeking medical help. After a conversation with Ba Bao, Shiva reveals the history of the Unseen; how they gain their powers from a special blue flower. More ninjas arrive led by their blind leader Kalden the Unseen. Cass’s skills are useless and they are again forced to flee, leaving Ba Bao and her family at the mercy of Kalden.

BATMAN #155 by Chip Zdarsky and Carmine Di Giandomenico. In a flashback that began thirteen weeks ago, Gordon, not working with Bullock in their detective agency, is asked to check on a woman’s cheating husband. The woman is Koyuki Nakano and her husband is the mayor. Three weeks late and Gordon says he can find no evidence of her husband’s infidelity. Two weeks later, the pair are attacked by kidnappers, who Jim fends off. They share a kiss and the affair begins. On the night of the murder, Gordon arrives at the Nakano home to take her to Metropolis so they can start a new life. Mayor Nakano is waiting for him. They argue and Gordon pulls his gun. Now, Gordon is being held and Bullock tells Batman he has enough evidence to arrest Gordon. Meanwhile, Bruce attempts to meet his half-brother but is stopped by Leonid Kull. While he is being beaten by security, he places a tracker on Kull’s shoe. At the same time, Nygma informs Birkemow that he plans to buy out Wayne Enterprises and take NygmaTech global. In the end, Batman discovers that Jim Gordon is the killer thanks to an app based on Mad Hatter tech that was developed by… NygmaTech.

BATMAN AND ROBIN #16 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Javi Fernandez. The memento mystery deepens as a group of paranormal explorers are killed by spirits while investigating the ruins of Arkham. The Dynamic Duo investigate and discover that at least one of the victims has symptoms caused by a hallucinogen exactly like was used in the original Memento murders. Joining the investigation is Lieutenant Katherine Lautrec, who Bruce knows from his days in London investigating the original murders. That night, Batman and Lautrec meet up at Arkham to interview Jonathan Crane, interrogating him about what he knows about the murders and the hallucinogen known as the Gravedigger’s Poppy. Crane reveals he was somehow involved and memento is the Devil and he crossed the ocean to punish Batman. Just then, the guard clicks his weapon, revealing that he was tasked with killing Crane and, saying “memento mori” he sets off a bomb in the maintenance area that releases gas. That is followed by a stream of people led by Memento.

BATMAN/SANTA CLAUS: SILENT KNIGHT RETURNS #2 by Jeff Parker and Lukas Ketner. With Batman missing, there is chaos in Gotham which gets quelled by Robin, Zatanna and Klaus. This leads them to a solstice party at Wintersgate Mansion, where Klaus masquerades as Batman where Jason Blood tells the story of Sir Brian of Camelot, who apparently was lost in battle at the same castle Batman and the other heroes are at. Gentleman Ghost reveals this batman’s true guise and he tells all the gathered that he came back because the Monsterkind brought Sir Brian of Camelot, to life and he asks for their help in finding the realm. Felix Faust summons the Knight but he breaks free and appears to drain Jason Blood of his life force. In the mysterious realm, the heroes continue to fight their way towards the castle.

BATMAN/SANTA CLAUS: SILENT KNIGHT RETURNS #3 by Jeff Parker and Lukas Ketner. Klaus fights against the Knight and gets an assist from The Flash but he too is drained. The Knight flees and Klaus follows, telling Zatanna and the others to contact Ulah to find him. Zatanna casts a spell which preserves the heroes in amber. Later, Robin reaches out to Ulah which they notice a flicker in Jason’s eyes, causing Zatanna to have him brought outside where, as Mary Marvel, Metamorpho, and Robotman arrive, Jason transforms and breaks free. A portal opens and Ulah arrives, wondering where her husband is. In the other realm, the battle continues when the Knight arrives, followed by Klaus.

BATMAN/SANTA CLAUS: SILENT KNIGHT RETURNS #4 by Jeff Parker and Lukas Ketner In the other realm, the Knight stabs Klaus and escapes again. At the Mansion, Ulah arrives and fights with the heroes as she demands to known where Klaus is. Zatanna uses a spell to catch Ulah up and she reveals that he carries a crystal in his belt meaning she can track him and they head out through a portal. That is when one of Korgus’s creatures arrives and the new arrivals engage him in battle. The Demon also slays a multi-headed creature and Ulah is reunited with Klaus. Thunderheart asks about her father and Robin lies saying they came here before he answered their call. The combined team finally get into the castle and that is when a veritable horde of creatures arrives to attack.

BATMAN/SANTA CLAUS: SILENT KNIGHT RETURNS #5 by Jeff Parker and Lukas Ketner. The team finds themselves wracked by nightmares that make them feel lost and alone until Ulah’s backup in the form of yeti arrive. They manage to break free thanks to listening to Batman’s voice but Klaus tells Thunderheart that the death of her father is true, although he believes it can be reversed. En route, a giant flower appears and squirts water, leading to a giant frog oracle appearing and asking a question to be answered  before they actually enter the Hollow Kingdom. Perched in front of the oracle is a box and the creature asks what is in the box. Batman deduces that the box is a gift and what is in it is what we put in it. Batman and Superman are the first to arrive and the Knight flees as the other teammates have turned the tide against the monsters they were facing.  Jason Blood transforms into the Knight of the Hollow Kingdon with Metamorpho as his shield. This distraction allows the  heroes to capture the Silent Knight and force him into the castle, destroying him but restoring all the people of the kingdom, along with bringing Wally back to life. Ulah invites them all to their home, where they feast and Klaus gives Superman and Batman gifts.

BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST #34 by Mark Waid and Fran Galan. On Altos-9, the World’s Finest team fight against Galtar, who has used his Golden Eye to corrupt the citizens of Altos-9. He is defeated by Robin notes that eyes usually come in pairs. One year later, something causes Krypto and Ace the Bathound to freak out, leading to Jimmy becoming Elastic Lad and teaming up with Batgirl. What they discover is that Galtar has arrived with the other eye and is using it to corrupt the inmates at Arkham. He tries to subvert Jimmy and Batgirl when Superman, Batman and Robin arrive and Galtar tries to corrupt them too. But Ace grabs the Golden Eye and Jimmy uses his powers to subdue him.

BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #20 by Ty Templeton, Dave Wielgosz, Hassan Otsmane-Elhou, Mivhael W. Conrad, Simone Di Meo, Monica Kubina, Nikola Cizmesija, Travis Mercer, Tom Derenick, and Christopher Mitten. Bat-Mite gets involved with Zatanna in a tale that is told in reverse and shows that he had been in her life longer than either know. In the second tale, Plastic Man faces off against Roulette while Diana deals with Guilborg. She gets her lasso back and turns into Wonder Woman but Plastic Man gets wrapped in it and reverts to plain old Eel O’Brien. Once they escape, he reverts back and tells his sordid past, where she tells him that, despite his past, he has done good. In the third tale, Onomatopoeia has to deal with contract hits but is also driven crazy by a maintenance man he is convinced is following him. In the fourth tale, Martian Manhunter fights to help Animal Girl break free from The Red. In the final tale, Bruce Wayne is driven crazy as he believes he finds himself filled with fear and anxiety when he believes his body is being covered in tattoos.

BIRDS OF PREY #16 by Kelly Thompson and Sami Basri. Cassandra is trapped underneath the Ninth Day Corporation and fights against a dog creature who was once a human named Bella, eventually making friends with the animal.by destroying the electric collar on his neck. The pair escape and that allows Cassandra to break into where another Amazon is being readied for experimentation. She frees the girl but gets gassed I the process but not before she can send out an emergency message to the other Birds. They Boom Tube their way into the Ninth Corporation and smell the gas. They fight against the already transformed Amazons and they defeat them, only to find that Cass has been transformed too.

BLACK CANARY: BEST OF THE BEST #2 by Tom King and Ryan Sook. In the distant past, Dinah watches her mother go off to fight crime. On this particular night, Dinah Lance comes back wounded, which Dinah sees, even as her father orders her back to bed. In recent past, Dinah’s mother puts her through a rigorous, almost torturous training regimen. While massaging Dinah after one of her workouts, her mother collapses to the floor. Once recovered and after she puts in a call to her mother’s doctor, her mother, suffering the effects of her cancer treatment, tells her daughter that she must win to show everyone who they are. In the present, with the start of Round Two, Lady Shiva again takes the upperhand, even as Dinah struggles to stay in the fight.

BLACK LIGHTNING #2 by Brandon Thomas and Fico Ossio. Anissa apparently developed powers after the Task Force VII Amazos were defeated. She tells her story to a robot councilor on the Watchtower while Black Lightning and Lightning deal with a continuing number of Meta outbreaks. The pair head to the Watchtower and Anissa demands to be taken home. Black Lightning gets called away by a Watchtower emergency and Lightning takes Anissa home, but brings her to meet their mother at Steelworks. While there, Volcana leads an attack on Steelworks, causing Lightning and Natasha Irons to suit up.

CATWOMAN #71 by Torunn Gronbekk and Marianna Ignazzi. A decade ago, Selina, as Evie, and Shota are stealing an item during a party. They had been tasked with it by Ivan Belov. In the present, Selina is still changing identities while also being hunted. And Ivan is having another of his parties while still dealing in solen merchandise. Selina makes her way into the party to gather intel but then gets caught and leaves, running into Tinsel’s partner. This leads to a rooftop battle with her, telling her partner to say who hired them or she would drop her to the ground below. He refuses and she does indeed drop her. She makes her way back into the gathering and sees Ivan dressed as a Roman emperor. She walks away from the gathering but is apprehended by someone who is surprised to see her, having heard that Evie was dead.

CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN #1 by Christopher Cantwell and Sean Isaaske. After the events of the ALL-IN SPECIAL, where Darkseid was killed and the Absolute Universe was created, the Justice league Unlimited find themselves investigating abnormalities created by it. The Challengers have been treated as the B team, stuck with doing menial jobs including cleaning the septic tank. The team members, specifically Ace, are given their first assignments with Ace leading Superman to meet with Ms. Martian to investigate an unusual crystal formation. As Superman attempts to cut a fragment off the crystal, Ace is haunted by what his life could have been. With the sample cut loose, they return to the Watchtower, where Mister Terrific reveals that the anomalies may have also affected the Challengers themselves.

DC HORROR PRESENTS #2 by LaToya Morgan, Aaron Sagers, Tom Derenick, and Ryan Kelly. On Halloween night, two people dressed as Batman and Wonder Woman make their way to the set of Shadow crest.  While there, they find a Scarface puppet but later discovers it has disappeared. Scarface attacks and beheads the man and it turns out that this was all the woman’s plan as she and the dummy find love. In the second story, a paranormal investigator is hired by The Penguin, who has been haunted by many of those thugs who have died in his employ. The investigator manages to bring the spirits to existence and Penguin apologizes to them. When the investigator leaves, the spirts leave with him but he knows they will return again someday.

DC HORROR PRESENTS #3 by Francesco Francavilla and Patrick Horvath. Batman investigates an incident at the former Pomona Botanical Observatory, where he finds numerous corpse that have been transformed into trees. Abby Arcane reveals herself and Batman is put to sleep. When he wakes and finally frees himself, he discovers that Abby has turned the world into a growth of trees. In the second story, Adam Strange returns to Rann after a mission and is told to decontaminate his boots, as they are covered in spores that could cause infect wherever he goes. It dawns on him that he went to Earth and had not decontaminated himself. Arriving back on Earth, he sees what hjis carelessness has done, as people have been mutated and killed by horrific worms in their brain. In the end, Justice League members, included a Superman who has been infected, want to ask Adam some questions.

DC HORROR PRESENTS CREATURE COMMANDOS #3 by David Dastmalchian and Jesus Hervas. Two years ago, Velcro goes after the Triumph Hill Church but is forced to witness Maggie, who he came to rescue, be murdered. In the present, he is told he will get time to visit Cruz Graham, the man responsible for the church and Maggie’s demise. Elsewhere, Wanda finds Mina’s lab and Mina tells how she gained her condition after a mission that led to her team dying but she was spared after Morgana LeFay cast a spell upon her. Meanwhile, brainiac continues to plan for his ultimate attack. In the end, Zatanna tries to figure out who Lucky is and that leads her to Sgt. Taylor’s grave.

DETECTIVE COMICS #1092 by Tom Taylor and Mikel Janin. Kai, the boy Robin rescued and hid away at the end of last issue, is murdered by the female who has been killing many of Gotham’s youth, which causes Robin to blame himself. While investigating the crime scene, the pair of heroes run into agents from an organization called LXR that has a mysterious symbol which seems tied to Sangraal. After a visit to the facility, Bruce takes Scarlett out to dinner which ends when they find themselves fighting off muggers. After they defeat the assailants, they share a kiss and later go to bed, where she sees his scars and suggests he is hiding something from her. He later meets with oracle and finds that Scarlett is somehow connected to the Faultless Juvenile Detention center.

THE FLASH #16 by Simon Spurrier and Vasco Georgiev. As the West family head towards the gap in the mysterious cloud, Linda suggests they should treat this adventure like a Role Playing game. Soon, they encounter Weather Wizard who suggests he and Wally fight while also sounding like a badly created Fantasy character, which leads Linda to realize this place is creating things from their ideas and they should share stories instead of fighting. Weather Wizard responds by creating a whirlwind and trapping he and Wally inside, where Weather Wizard saying that in this place, science is magic.. Irey tells Jai of her new powers and she admits that jai has changed too. Jai tells her he believes that the dog has actually been born from the Deep Change, even though Irey’s memories show that Foxy has been around through most of her father’s life. The dog releases some Speed Force energy that breaks Wally from whatever mind control he was under. Jai manages to transport he and his sister to the Watchtower where they see the duplicate of their father. Jai leaves his sister behind, telling her he will pick her up in an hour, despite the temporal time difference. He sees what is happening as Weather Wizard is about to stab Wally when he is hit with a magic crossbow by Warlord. As Warlord tries to comfort Jai, the boy sees darkness flowing out of Warlord’s eyepatch.

GREEN ARROW #19 by Chris Condon and Montos. The issue begins with a young girl becoming ill because of the polluted water. Meanwhile, Ollie, Detective Benitez and her dog Arrow discuss the case of the Fresh Water Killer, who has just killed Senator Foley. As they investigate, with tech guy hayes looking over every camera feed from the Senator’s place, Benitez takes Arrow for a walk and Ollie realizes the killer has never left. Then he sees her about to be attacked and springs into action, taking down the would-be assailant thanks to help from Arrow the dog. When they unmasked the person, it is a disfigured woman who says she is sorry for everything.

GREEN LANTERN #18 by Jeremy Adams and Xermanico. Dark Star has ordered his possessed Lanterns to attack the planet. Unable to defeat them, Hal sends the other Lanterns off to attack Dark Star directly. Kyle attacks Varron to keep him from absorbing the energy from the Source Lantern. But he is too late and when the Lantern explodes, Varron tosses Kyle away. Varron heads off to fight Dark Star for the right to rule the galaxy but they eventually team up to fight the Lanterns. Hal sees that Dark Star is drawing energy from a portal created to bring the Old Gods through and he plans to find a way to shove the villains through the portal and sealing them in it. Elsewhere, Kilowog is strangling Jessica but she is able to use her willpower to break him out of his possession. Kilowog and Jessica arrive in time to send the villains away. In the end, the Guardians return now changed by the fact hat anyone can use any color in the spectrum. Carol, as Star Sapphire, confronts and defeats an alien beast, leading her to once again feel whole. And the Sorrow Lantern is summoned by Starbreaker.

GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW: WORLD’S FINEST SPECIAL #1 by Jeremy Adams, Travis Mercer, and Lucas Meyer. In a tale set in 1980, Hal and Ollie set off on a cross-country road trip when they are suddenly attacked by a masked man with a rocket launcher. Hal gets shot but manages to fight back and allow them to escape. After being attacked a second time, they end up in a gas station somewhere on Route 66, taking refuge so Ollie can attempt to patch his friend up. Ollie calls for a jet and heads out to find the attacker. Hal wakes to find himself being cared for by Dinah and immediately heads out to find  What he finds is Ollie in the midst of a fight with the would-be assassin, who is revealed to be Deathstroke and who is apparently auditioning to join the League of Assassins. The pair defeat him and flee, but Deathstroke is soon tasked with another mission involving The Flash. Hal joins him to protect him and they defeat Deathstroke, who is arrested. The group “arresting” Deathstroke is presumed to be from the League but the assassin reveals he knows they are actually from H.I.V.E. This gets continued into 1980’s NEW TEEN TITANS #2.

DC UNIVERSE Month 82, Part 2

GREEN LANTERN #17 by Jeremy Adams and Xermanico. Varron and the Durlan warships show up over Oa, where his plan is to gain access to the Source Lantern. Meanwhile, the Unseeing, along with Yellow Lantern Kilowog, continue to interrogate Jessica Cruz when they learn of Varron’s arrival. Hal and John head to Oa to warn them of the upcoming attack by Red Lantern Mogo. At the same time, Thaaros is revealed to still be alive and transforms into Dark Star and also heads to Oa. With all the various forces converging, a battle for the Source Lantern begins just as Red Lantern Mogo arrives and destroys the Durlan warships. Sinestro arrives and crashes into Mogo, absorbing the Red Lantern power. Varron manages to enter the Source Lantern and that causes Kyle Rayner to transform into the White Lantern and head after him.

HARLEY QUINN #45 by Elliot Kalan and Mindy Lee. The Harley Quinn Destructive agency gets a new case that takes her to a garbage dump, where she observes the statue of Mayor James Francis Donn She also meets Chicken Fingers. It is revealed that Althea Klang is planning to unveil a new centerpiece for Throatcutter Hill and Harley plans to stop it. At the ceremony, Klang reveals a giant statue saying ‘Heart’. As Harley attempts to destroy it, Klang reveals her own superhero by the name of The Amenity. The pair fights and Chicken Fingers attempts to help but his age and physical condition is more of a hindrance and Harley tells him so. However, she fights back and takes out The Amenity, knocking him into the statue, which now reads ‘Fart’. In the end, she apologizes to Chicken Fingers, saying she still wants him as her neighbor. And, after all of this, Klang wants revenge.

JSA #1 by Jeff Lemire and Diego Olortegui. Following the events of ABSOLUTE POWER, the Justice Society has reformed and there are now multiple teams; all of whom are fighting injustice in their own way. Infinity Inc. has reformed, with many old members such as Jade and her brother, along with newer members such as Yolanda and Jesse. At the same time, Jakeem remains in critical condition although no one can figure out what is wrong with him. The Mystery Men consists of the classic JSA’ers including Wildcat, Alan Scott, and Jay Garrick, and they are all at the Tower of fate where Khalid is taken out and Hawkman and Hawkgirl find themselves in the fight of their lives. Later, at the Justice Society brownstone, it is revealed that Infinity Inc. has a spy in their midst as Johnny Sorrow is revealed to be masquerading as Jade’s brother. And he has reformed the Injustice Society.

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #1 by Mark Waid and Dan Mora. With ABSOLUTE POWER over, the Justice League has reformed as Justice League Unlimited, which now allows ALL of Earth’s heroes to be members. One of the newest members is Air Wave, who came back to this timeline following the conclusion of STARGIRL: THE LOST CHILDREN. As he begins his orientation, Aquaman and his team of heroes face off against Marine Marauder while the Challengers of the Unknown try to fix a problem with the Watchtower’s power core. An alert comes in about War Wheels destroying a mining town in South Africa. Air Wave is able to use his radio wave powers to lend a hand, even as the team learns this is part of a plot by a group calling themselves Inferno. At the same time, Batman and Blue Beetle head to Costa Rica where they discover an entire area covered with weird alien pods. In the end, Air Wave has mixed mentions as he is glad to have helped and is trusted but is also conflicted as he was sent here to kill the Justice League.

MILESTONE UNIVERSE: THE SHADOW CABINET #1 by Joseph Illidge, Daryl Banks, and Atagun Ilhan. On an Alva jet, the members of S.Y.S.T.E.M. are discussing ways to take advantage of citizens following the recent Brainiac invasion. They are interrupted by Angela Alva who executes one of the occupants and declares herself the new head of S.Y.S.T.E.M. Later, Angela Alva meets with Tiffany Evans in an attempt to get the woman whose life she ruined to come work for her. At the same time, Rocket is continuing to fight the good fight, guided by Hardware, who is currently a wanted fugitive. She has little time to rest as she receives an alert about an auction of a train from someone looking to sell Brainiac tech. The entire auction is interrupted by the intervention of Shadow Cabinet members Anasai and Iron Butterfly who, along with Rocket, stop the sale. Rocket gets transported to Shadowspire where she meets Dharma and is offered the opportunity to join them to help save the world. In the end, a contract killer is being tasked to go to Paris Island and kill the Blood Syndicate.

NIGHTWING #120 by Dan Watters and Dexter Soy. Nightwing finds himself chased by security bots inside Spheric Solutions. He is able to disable the central processing unit inside the building by opening the shell of the bot but discovers it is being controlled by a scared rabbit. He rescues the rabbit just before the bot explodes, taking the facility with it. The next day Dick’s sister calls and he learns of a press conference that Olivia Pearce is giving, putting the blame on the Teddies Gang, who Nightwing had previously talked with to cool the rising gang issue. She then releases the upgraded Bludhaven Police Department, now called the Helios Project and equipping them with her new upgraded weapons. Dick goes to talk to the Teddies, but the Helios Project has already gotten there and kills one of the gang, who turns out to be a 14 year old kid.

POISON IVY #27 by G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara. Ivy finds out she is now wanted for murder and that leads to a confrontation with Batman, where she tells him she is not the ecoterrorism leader. She meets with Janet and the pair head off to the ghost town before heading back to town, where she confronts one of the terrorist group, who tells her that because she defeated the Green Man the world will be reborn through her. Meanwhile, Janet, scared and lonely, calls Croc and asks him to come over, which he does. They explore the sewers under the ghost town, finding graffiti declaring ‘We Tried’ before sharing a kiss.

POWER GIRL #15 by Leah Williams and Adrianna Melo. Some time ago, seven year old Abigail Weathers, who suffered from a rare form of Albinism, was in a car crash that killed her parents. She is saved from the crash by Symbio and taken to Dolira, where she was raised and trained by him. Fifteen years later, he gives her special armor he had crafted for her from his living biotech and sends her to take out Power Girl. In Asgard, Power Girl learns all of this thanks to the mirror in the Charnel House of God-Thought revealing this to her, which sets her off as she confesses that Symbio, who she had already killed once, was her abuser. While Omen fights for her life, Power Girl meets with Ejecta, demanding she ask Symbio about what really happened with the death of her parents. As if things weren’t bad enough, Omen flatlines in the hospital.

THE QUESTION: ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER #1 by Alex Segura and Cian Tormey. Following the events of ABSOLUTE POWER, Renee Montoya finds herself serving as the Head of Security aboard the newly built Watchtower. As it turns out, Batman and Superman asked her to take this job to help her not only sort out her life but to try and find the person or persons trying to infiltrate the Watchtower. Her specific team consists of Ted Kord, Jaime Reyes, Animal Man, and her former lover Batwoman as her agent in the field. While she is taking the tour of the facility with Wonder Woman, an alert informs them of an intruder that turns out to be Conduit and they are looking to find and kill Montoya. Conduit is eventually stopped and revealed to be a robot and this attack was simply a distraction that allows a member of the Challengers of the Unknown to be killed.

SHAZAM #17 by Josie Campbell and Dan McDaid. The Commander is now being endorsed by Society and that brings him to a major disagreement between himself and Billy, leading him to have a conversation with The Captain. The Captain reveals that Freddy took an artifact from the Rock of Eternity that is called the Amber Lightning, which leads to the pair meeting with Hephaestus, the god of the forge. The god reveals the origin of the Amber Lightning and explains that it is not evil but simply a test, proving the wearer to have to choose between good and evil. Meanwhile, Mary and Hoppy take a tour of Society and find a secret area, leading to them being attacked. In the end, The Commander arrives at a homeless camp with a look that says he may be heading towards the darker side of his personality.

SUPERMAN #20 by Joshua Williamson and Dan Mora. Doomsday has escaped from Hell but time has been frozen by the Time Trapper, who reveals himself to be an evolved Doomsday from the future and he is here with a warning. He explains that every time Doomsday dies, he evolves and the Time Trapper cannot become his ultimate being and transform into a god until he himself dies and he needs Superman to kill him, which he refuses to do. Unfreezing time, he warns Superman that those he cares for will die until Time Trapper gets what he wants. With Superman engaged with Doomsday and Superwoman fighting the Hell Hounds, he directs Mercy to call out Parasite to stop Doomsday. He manages to drain enough energy to weaken Doomsday but ultimately is torn in two by the creature. Super Corps manages to incapacitate the creature and take it into custody. In the end, Doomsday’s arrival has given Calaton some interest and hope.

TITANS #17 by John Layman and Pete Woods. The Clock King, following the events of ABSOLUTE POWER, has not only had the bomb removed from his brain but also discovered he now has the power to control time because of a growth on his hippocampus. It has also given him the ability to go through the memories of individuals and has led to him capturing the Titans. He has hooked them up to a machine and is intending to use their memories to unlock their various secrets. But Donna has found a way to compartmentalize her memories and use them against Clock King. He escapes and the team deals with how much they had to fight back against their fear. In the end, Clock King is met by someone with an offer to help him…someone with issues with the Titans: Deathstroke.

WONDER WOMAN #15 by Tom King, Khary Randolph, and Daniel Sampere. Following the death of Steve Trevor and the “birth” of her daughter, Wonder Woman is ready to take out the Sovereign. Cassie crashes a jet onto an automated battleship and destroying it, while also taking the wealth stored inside of it. Yara goes on a bank robbing spree, stealing seventeen priceless Sovereign items in the process. Donna tracks down Solomon Grundy and, after beating him bloody, cuts him open and removes a rare, expensive Sovereign diamond from within him. Cheetah meets with a finance broker in hopes of him having sex. But she cuts him up and gains access to all the codes needed to move all of Sovereign’s assets to the charities of her choice. All the while, Diana cares for her newborn daughter. In the backup, Steve Trevor is seemingly enjoying Paradise, although he still longs to be with Diana.

DC UNIVERSE Month 82, Part 1

ABSOLUTE BATMAN #2 by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta. When his father was killed, Bruce Wayne found himself trapped in the bat cage. Not long after Thomas’s death, Selina climbs through Bruce’s widow with the medal, telling him to get up and go with her. In the present, Alfred continues to surveil Bruce’s activities, noting that he works by day and fights crime by night.. he also has discovered numerous “boltholes” throughout the city that form the shape of a bat. Alfred’s handler order him to stop surveillance and let Batman be taken out by the Party Animals. They attack the empty skyscraper that is his base of operations but he blows the top levels of the building, leaving the tower in the shape of a bat. Elsewhere, Martha visits Gordon in the hospital. That night, Bruce joins in on Waylon’s poker game and all his friends are there, except for Selina who is travelling the world. He brings out one of the Party Animal’s masks and Eddie, who says that one of the chips in it can be decoded to anticipate where the Party Animals would strike next. After gaining information one Mayoral candidate Hamilton Hill, Bruce breaks into Hill’s campaign office, finding a folder on his computer labeled ‘ArkM’. When he opens it, Roman Sionis tells him that he will give Batman anything he wants if he can get out of the building alive, signaling that both GCPD and the Party Animals were on their way, leading Batman to go through a hatch and climb into the control room below. There he finds Alfred. Alfred says the Party Animals are not what they seem. Batman agrees to listen and hits a switch that turns the building into an armored vehicle.

ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN #1 by Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval. Many years ago, Krypton is ruled by the Science League and the bottom of the class structure is the Labor Guild. The Labor Guild wears the letter S on their outfits. Labor Guild members Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van live in the agricultural area known as the Redlands. Both have been blacklisted by the Science League because of their criticisms about them. At the mine where Jor-El works, he investigates splintering in the mine shaft and orders it evacuated but the mine manager disagrees. An earthquake rocks the place and green radioactive gas shoots forth, killing all but Jor-El, who escapes. In the present, migrant workers are forced by an army of Peacemaker soldiers into a diamond mine owned by Lazarus Corp. The workers discover that every amount of asbestos is gone, as are the diamonds, with one of the miners wondering if the Omega Man is responsible. The night previous, a new worker arrived and was invited by Joao to have dinner with him; a man who said he had been seeing things in Joao’s world before leaving saying he had work to do. As one of the Peacemakers beats Joao as he demands to know where the diamonds are, the Peacemaker learns that one worker did not show up: the worker Joao met the night before. His name is Kal-El and he is the now adult son of Jor-El and Lara and he has been travelling around the world trying to help exploited Lazarus workers. The Peacemakers attack Kal-El but his A.I. suit, known as Sol, protects him, telling him that their weapons are based on alien tech. He fights against the Peacemakers and the Phenomena Field Team arrives, causing him to activate his heat vision. A Lazarus agent named Lois Lane sneaks up on him and takes him captive. Meanwhile, an abandoned farm house in Kansas bearing the name Kent is seen.

ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN #2 by Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman. In the past, Diana is walking along the shores of the Wild Isle in hell and finds an injured pilot named Steve Trevor, rescuing him from a Hydra. As she and her mother care for him, she reveals that he is in Hell. In the present, Diana confronts Harbinger Prime, with her using both her abilities and some magic. She finally convinces Harbinger Prime to stop its’ destruction and leave. Following this, Steve meets with Diana, surprising her in the process and telling her he has orders to take her to meet with his superior officer. While the officer berates her and accuses her of being responsible for the monsters arrivals, she explains that Harbinger Prime was only the first of many. She and Steve leave and, as he marvels that her flying horse is actually the animated skeletal remains of the mythical Pegasus, a bigger monster arrives.

ACTION COMICS #1074 by Mark Waid, Mariko Tamaki, Skylar Patridge and Clayton Henry. Suck in the past on Krypton, Superman tries to figure out when he is and, after a violent earthquake, he realizes he is here shortly before Krypton is destroyed. To get back home, Superman knows he must find a way to recharge the solar battery, leading him to meet with Jor-El and seek his help. His mother opens the door while holding an infant Kal-El, leading to him to be overwhelmed and he introduces himself as Klar-Ken. Jor-El arrives, complaining about the Science Council. Superman shows him the batteries, impressing Jor-El. Superman also notices a protype of the Phantom Zone Projector, which Jor-El declares is a way to save the populace. A Science Council member bursts in and seizes the Projector. He also orders his men to take the batteries, knocking Superman unconscious and arresting everyone.  Meanwhile, in the Phantom Zone, Aethyr tells Lar that he is planning to repurpose the Phantom Zone. Elsewhere, at the X’rphoan Intergalactic Exposition, the Khunds burst in and demand the bones of Emperor Kharlax, Superman of China tells them he is willing to help them so they will then leave but they attack him instead. What does not help is a fleet of Khund warships poised to strike. In the backup, Supergirl and Prisoner 8912 are captured by aliens who imprison them, deciding to auction off 8912.Supergirl is captured and the bailiff robot is finally able to free her. They burst into 8912’s cell with 8912 thinking they will be one once again.

ACTION COMICS #1075 by Mark Waid, Mariko Tamaki, Joshua Williamson, Jon Bogdanove, Skylar Patridge and Clayton Henry. Superman wakes in a cell along with his parents. Lara explains that Ro-Zan is jealous of Jor-El, which is a story different from what Kal-El had always believed. The Els get taken to the Science Council, where the decision is to not charge Jor-El but to keep both the battery bracelets and the Projector, with plans to use it as a prison for all of Krypton’s criminals, despite Jor-El’s objections. After Lara claims Ro-Zan is doing this only because she married Jor-El instead of him. In actuality, this is a distraction to allow Jor-El to steal back the bracelets. Once released, Jor-El takes Kal-El to Zor-El’s home so he can help find a way to charge the bracelets. While there, he meets his bratty teenage cousin Kara, which also goes against everything he understood. Superman asks how it would be possible for someone to create solid matter in the Zone and was told it was impossible. Elsewhere, at the X’rphoan Intergalactic Exposition, Super-Man and Superboy defeat the Khunds and demand to be taken to the Khund flagship. Connor challenges the Khund leader to a fight to determine leadership of the fleet. On Earth, Jimmy runs into Lois’ office, telling her there is sudden climate change occurring. Just then, the sun begins to disappear as Aethyr drains its’ energy. In the first backup, Power Girl asks Superman what Supergirl is doing in space and Superman says he cannot tell her, but Kara was the only person who could do this. Supergirl, the bailiff robot and 8912 make their way onto the prison ship, despite 8912 trying to escape. As they fly off, the bailiff robot tells Kara that 8912’s court records declare them “the destroyer of worlds.” In the second backup, Perry White wins the election.

ACTION COMICS #1076 by Mark Waid, Mariko Tamaki, Skylar Patridge and Clayton Henry. Zor-El tells Superman that he invented a device that would charge the bracelet but that was taken by the Science Council. There is another earthquake and Superman tells Zor-El that Jor-El’s theory is correct, which is rebuffed by Zor-El, to Superman’s surprise. Superman sneaks into the Science Council and finds Zor-El’s machine, partially recharging the bracelets before being attacked by the guards. He tells Ro-Zan he is from the future and that Jor-El is right and Ro-Zan will be known as the man who destroyed Krypton. Two guards shoot Kal-El but he is unharmed, flying back to the rift that leads him to the Phantom Zone. He re-enters the Well of Time, only to find the Phantom Zone ripping itself apart. Elsewhere, Superboy and Khuarr head to the Murder Pit. Kong tries to stop them but he is thrown into the ship’s furnace. He breaks out and finds that Conner won the fight and is now the “superoveradmiral”. In the backup, the bailiff tells Kara that 8912 is responsible for 157 planets. 8912 tries to take control of the shuttle, with Supergirl restraining them. 8912 makes psychic contact with Kara, begging her to kill them.

ACTION COMICS #1077 by Mark Waid, Mariko Tamaki, Meghan Hetrick and Clayton Henry. Currently, thanks to the work of Aethyr, the sun is shrinking and Earth appears to be doomed. In the Phantom Zone, Superman is doing his best to save the residents there from the growing field of solid matter. He finds Mon-El who reveals he was being attacked and had to kill his attackers. Her also reveals that Xa-Du told Aethyr where Earth is located and he will kill everyone in the solar system if he isn’t stopped. Superman confronts Aethyr and, with the help of Mon-El, stop him but at the cost of the villains own life as his plan to make things in the Zone solid resulted in killing him. With that, Superman heads to the rift that will bring him home. Meanwhile, Connor and Kong return to the museum with the Khunds where they arrange, under penalty of death, to return the missing items to where they belong, including the Fortress of Solitude. In the backup, 8912 reveals she has a brother and that he was the rage and she the fear and together they destroyed worlds, again begging Supergirl to kill her as that was the mission.

BATGIRL #1 by Tate Brombal and Takeshi Miyazawa. Cassandra meets with her mother and find themselves attacked by a legendary order of warriors known as The Unburied. Working together, they defeat their attackers and flee. Lady Shiva sees that her temple has been attacked, leading to mother and daughter investigating, finding everyone slaughtered. The Unburied attack and now they must truly work together to save themselves and to solve the mystery.

BATMAN #154 by Chip Zdarsky and Carmine Di Giandomenico. Mayor Nakano has been killed and Batman, Bullock and Jim Gordon investigate, with Batman interrogating Nakano’s assistant while Bullock interrogates Nakano’s wife. Batman gets a lead on a local businessman named Leonid Kull. Kull, newly established Mayor Jacob Horgan and Ed Nygma are having dinner when Batman arrives, with police trying to force him out of this private event, leading Batman to fight back and pulling a badge belonging to the Court of the Owls off one of them. Under the threat of being arrested, Batman leaves, going to the morgue and examining Nakano’s body. Later, Bruce is told by his personal assistant about things regarding his long-lost brother, telling him to sign over half of Wayne Enterprise shares. During a visit to Leslie Thompkin’s clinic, Leslie tells him how his father once had an affair with a woman named Tara. An angry mob attacks the clinic and Bruce fights back, getting saved by the new hero named Commander Star. Jim and Batman investigate at Nakano’s when Bullock calls and says that Koyuki was having an affair. That leads to Jim turning a gun on Batman, claiming he was only defending himself. Is Jim Gordon the murderer?

BATMAN AND ROBIN #15 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Javi Fernandez. The fire from the explosion continues to burn while father and son try to fight their way through and save people. After the dust has settled, with the young girl Damian had met seriously injured, father and son discuss what happened, with Bruce saying out the person Damian saw bears a resemblance to the serial killer known as Memento, although he tells Damian that this was likely a copycat. With Gotham buzzing about the appearance of memento, Batman and Robin continue to investigate. That night, Memento appears on a flaming boat and attacks Tiger Shark and his men.

BATMAN/SANTA CLAUS: SILENT KNIGHT RETURNS #1 by Jeff Parker and Lukas Ketner. Ten hours ago, in Egypt, an empty suit of armor shows up and begins to drain the life-force of people; similar to what is happening all over the world. Currently, Damian arrives at Zatanna’s home, telling her he needs the help of her magic and then proceeds to explain what has occurred. Members of the Justice League arrive in Egypt and contained the suit of armor, but the entity broke free and touched his sword against Superman and also Nubia, who has noticed that Doom’s Doorway has opened. As the heroes fail, Thunderheart gets Robin out of the battle and sends him away, telling him to bring back help. As he finishes telling Zatanna the tale, Klaus comes down her chimney explaining how, in their last meeting, one of the Monsterkind had escaped and he is sure this is related. Back at the battle site, a Norse giant appears and the heroes fight it. They defeat it but batman demands they stop as they realize the Silent Knight has built a castle out of human lives.

BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST #33 by Mark Waid and Adrian Gutierrez. While the heroes struggle to both break free of Eclipso and alternately fight against him, with The Spectre getting involved. But even with his help, the fight goes badly until Doctor fate arrives and is able to use his power to destroy the black rock. Superman and Doctor Fate put the rock back together and trap Eclipso within it, leading to The Spectre hurling it into the sun to act as Eclipso’s permanent prison.

BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #19 by Zac Thompson, Dave Wielgosz, Michael W. Conrad, Brendan Hay, Rich Douek, Stefano Raffaele, Nikola Cizmesija, Christopher Mitten, Marco Santucci, and Stevan Subic. Batman teams up with The Scarecrow to attempt to stop a device that is causing fear and anger among Gothamites. The pair succeeds, even though it is eventually revealed this was part of crane’s long-term game after all. In the second story, Wonder Woman teams up with Plastic Man to try and retrieve her stolen lasso. That leads to them crosses paths with Roulette and she sets him on fire. But Plastic man meeting with Shadow King and then going undercover. In the third story, Animal Man’s daughter Maxine senses something wrong with her and that brings Martian Manhunter into the equation to reach inside of her mind where it is revealed she has become one with a hive of killer bees deep inside The Red. In the fourth tale, the Robins find themselves captured by Killer Moth, who is seeking revenge on the Robin that once sucker-punched him with a lead pipe, leading our heroes to declare it was Jason Todd. Despite that, he is willing to kill them too, but they team-up to escape and capture him. In the final tale, a meeting of people affected by the acts of Zsasz gets a surprise visit from the killer, who is prepared to finish what he started when Batman arrives. But one of the patients has now gained the courage to take a knife to Zsasz’s throat and, while Batman begs him not to do it, the man slits the killer’s throat. In the end, Zsasz will survive and the man will have to live with the consequences. But he may have already gone over the edge as he is seen adding a fifth scar to ones he already had.

BIRDS OF PREY #15 by Kelly Thompson and Sami Basri. Cass continues her undercover operation to try and free the Amazons who have been held captive by the Ninth Day Corporation, but she has underestimated them and is attacked and gets captured. She struggles to find a way out of her cell and uses her many skills to do so. She gets free and ends up in the bowels of the building where she comes face to face with one of the Ninth Day’s failures: a creature transformed by the Corporation’s experiments.

BLACK CANARY: BEST OF THE BEST #1 by Tom King and Ryan Sook. In the recent past, Black Canary goes to stay with her mother, the original Black Canary, as she is looking for her to train her for a sanctioned, no powers allowed MMA submission fight against Lady Shiva. As it turns out, her mother is fighting an aggressive form of cancer that has already left her bald because of her treatments. It is shown that the reason for the fight is Dinah making a deal with someone who has promised her cash and a cure as long as the fight goes six rounds. The two begin training, despite their reunion being a difficult one. In the present, Shiva comes out swinging and quickly gains the upper hand.

BLACK LIGHTNING #1 by Brandon Thomas and Fico Ossio. On the night that Amanda Waller won, Black Lightning, Lightning, and Thunder did their best to fight back, but their powers failed and Jefferson still feels guilty about it. Later. Jefferson learns of a teen named Isaac who has developed powers and is being held at bay by police. Jefferson intervenes, taking him to the Watchtower, along with Lightning. While there, Lightning gets a call from her sister Anissa, with Lightning picking her sister’s brain about when they would be together again and what happened with the relationship between Anissa and her girlfriend Grace Choi. Isaac breaks free of the containment unit as an energy surge is noticed in Suicide Slum, sending father and daughter back to Earth. Lightning tries to reason with the being who turns out to be Anissa, saying she is sorry that this happened again.

CATWOMAN #70 by Torunn Gronbekk and Fabriana Mascolo. Selina, still in her disguise as Evie, meets with Suzy Sinner, who fills her in on the activities of Katarina Belov and her sons Alex, Ivan and Mitya. The sons apparently each have keys to a vault that they must work together to open or kill the others who possess it. After the meeting, where Suzy realizes she is not really Evie, Selina realizes that she is being stalked and fights back against the man, where she finds out her identity has been compromised. She flees to a rooftop and is attacked again, defeating the would-be assassin and flees before anyone else can arrive.

DC HORROR PRESENTS CREATURE COMMANDOS #2 by David Dastmalchian and Jesus Hervas. Two months ago, the team confronted Zatanna, who was attempting to free some captive women who it turned out had been transformed into horrible creatures. In the process, Lt. Marilyn Harris was killed. In the present, Dr. West  In the present, as Dr. West is flooded with those memories as the team made up of the newest members are prepped for the next mission, despite their infighting. Elsewhere, Brainiac has plans of his own by making his subjects becoming living bombs.

DETECTIVE COMICS #1091 by Tom Taylor and Mikel Janin. Batman continues to investigate the recent deaths of teens that were recently released from juvenile detention, including one that Batman had struck as he was holding a gun on the hero. Oracle reaches out to tell him that one of the teens they were keeping an eye on has been kidnapped. With Robin’s assistance, they free the boy and learn that this was retribution for the boy stealing from The Penguin. During the fight, Batman is injured by a crowbar strike and, meeting with Superman later, he reveals he is considering the treatment to keep him young. As Bruce, he goes to the clinic and receives his first dose of the drug. With Robin taking the boy to a hotel room to keep him safe, Batman visits The Penguin, telling him that whatever his problem was with the boy that it ends now. At the same time, the boy gets a visit from a mysterious and seemingly dangerous visitor.

THE FLASH #15 by Simon Spurrier and Vasco Georgiev. As it turns out, Wally West has been split into two beings. One is back in the real world and the other is with the family in Skartaris. The plan, as put forth by Inspector Pilgrim, is to eventually get the two back together again without causing a temporal implosion. Irey returns to her family just as strange creatures begin to attack, which they believe is due to Warlord saying that magic is fading. They notice a usually shape in the sky where only a single shard of light is getting through. Wally goes to investigate but his powers suddenly quit on him. A strange reptile woman arrives and, being unable to communicate, attacks the family, leading to Wade bringing forth Inspector Pilgrim who uses his powers to subdue the woman before leaving. Wally and Linda seem happy but Irey wonders what the connection is to their dog, which seems to be the source of some of the strange things happening.

GREEN ARROW #18 by Chris Condon and Montos. Many years ago, a boy named Kenny finds a puddle of black goo that comes from chemical waste barrels that are leaking. After stopping a criminal, Ollie goes back to his apartment and sees a news report that talks of the death of Donald Sherman: CFO of Horton Chemical and former business partner of Ollie. The police believe that Sherman’s death is connected to a string of murders. While breaking into the crime scene, he sees a photo of Sherman at a dinner and he recalls having gotten into a bit of a scuffle as Ollie accused him of illegally dumping chemicals. His investigation is interrupted by a police detective. Cooler heads prevail and she tells him of the death of Senator Eustace Foley, who was also at the same awards dinner.

GREEN ARROW ANNUAL 2024 by Joshua Williamson, Sean Izaakse, and Amancay Nahuelpan. Sometime in the future, Ollie is on the island and telling tales of his adventures to a group of children, including the sons of John Diggle and Roy Harper. After explaining how he spent years trying to track down the villain Firestarter, the kids convince Ollie to form a new Team Arrow and, together, they finally take down Firestarter.

Here comes a batch of first issues

ASTONISHING TALES FEATURING DEATHLOK #1 by Christopher Priest, Justina Irland, Denys Cowan, and Carlo Pagulayan. Finally: the REAL Deathlok returns to celebrate his 50th Anniversary. Luther Manning is back and I couldn’t be happier, as he brings his supporting cast with him. Top that off, there is a surprise ending featuring the newest Sorcerer Supreme. It is not the full-on reboot I would love to see, but I’ll take it.

BATMAN: FULL MOON #1 by Rodeny Barnes and Stevan Subic. People are being torn apart in Gotham in this Black Label title. Is it REALLY a werewolf haunting Gotham City. That’s the premise in this fun and beautifully illustrated book. Ot’s the perfect read for the Halloween season. The story is cool, there are some great cameos an, as I said previously, the art is great!

BATMAN THE LONG HALLOWEEN: THE LAST HALLOWEEN #1 by Jeph Loeb and Eduardo Risso. With the untimely death of Tim Sale, DC unleashes this sequel to the classic THE LONG HALLOWEEN with this ten issue series featuring some of the best creators in the business. It picks up after that classic tale and drops lots of breadcrumbs along the way. I loved the original and it’s just a shame that Sale couldn’t be here to finish the story. Highly recommended.

BLADE #1 by Bryan Hill and C,F, Villa. Coming out of BLOOD HUNT, everything that affected Blade is changed. He is no longer being possessed by Varnae and he has healed from being almost killed by his daughter. Basically he is back and he is passed! I’m okay with a BLADE series but I don’t understand the need to make it a Red Band title, which is Marvel’s newest gimmick. Sure, the cover, at least the variant cover, is unsettling and there are some grisly moments inside but nothing a reader of EC Comics or other Horror books hasn’t seen before. Overall, a fun read.

THE CREEPING BELOW #1 by Brian Azzarello and Vanesa Del Rey. Heavy Metal music meets Horror. That is the best way to describe this new titles from BOOM! Studios. A photographer named Val ends up in a world where apparent devil worship meets a cast of strange characters, along with equally devious creatures. I’m a big fan of Azzarello’s work and this may be his weirdest piece yet. The art left me a bit cold but the story, even with some language barriers (you’ll understand when you read it) was a fun, sometimes confusing ride. 

THE CRYPT OF SHADOWS #1 by Steve Orlando, Chris Condon, Benjamin Percy, Jason Loo, Claire Roe, Djibril Morissette-Phan, Raffaele Ienco, and Carlos Magno. It’s Halloween season and Marvel trots out this anthology title, all held together by an opening and closing piece featuring Agatha Harkness because, well…there’s a tv show and all. The stories are kind of lackluster, featuring the Scarlet Witch, Namor, Man-Thing, and Werewolf by Night. All in all, only for completists.

DAZZLER #1 by Jason Loo and Rafael Loureiro. Everyone’s favorite mutant Rock Star is back in a new mini-series. I would like to say it’s a great return to form but it’s not. The art is great and the story is what it is, but it spend too much time with pages of our hero singing and not enough time with her doing superhero things. I am totally disappointed by it.

G.I. JOE #1 by Joshua Williamson and Tom Reilly. Now, you may be reading this and are saying to yourself: “Wait! Isn’t there already a G.I. JOE series?” And you would be correct. This new series, written by Williamson, picks up after the various mini-series and comes early on in the careers of the Joes. This is not the Joes that you are familiar with. Even Baroness is a part of the team. So consider this not so much of a reboot but an origin story. The action is wild and the story and art fits. I am truly loving the current JOE series by Hama and company and enjoyed the mini-series, so this fits into my wheelhouse. 

GODFATHER OF HELL #1 by Cavan Scott and Pius Bak. This book intrigued me, mostly by the cover. Here’s the story: a small time crook disobeys his Mob boss and gets whacked because of it. He ends up in Hell and now it looks like he’s coming back to life to reap the souls of those who have sold them to Lucifer but refuse to pay up. So, he becomes a hitman for the Devil. The story is interesting, the art is reasonable and there are a couple of cool twists along the way. Seek this one out.

GREEN LANTERN DARK #1 by Tate Brombal and Werther Dell’edera. An Elseworlds tale where Rina Mori is the possessor of the Lantern’s light, even if she is reluctant to be the sole hero in a world filed with darkness and monsters, run by Grundy and his zombie horde. All the other heroes have died, including Superman and the Secrete Six and Rina is the only person to keep the creatures away. It’s a role she does not want. But what is more important: self or others. An interesting story with great art from  Dell’edera, who is most known for SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN. 

HEAT SEEKER: COMBUSTION #1 by Charles Ardai and Ace Continuado. Titan rolls out another mini-series in the continuing adventures of the GUN HONEY cast. It’s filled with intrigued, secret agent action and a bunch of nude men and women. I mean A LOT of nude men and women! But, looking beyond that, the story is a great set-up for the rest of the series, complete with a cool final page and a plot twist. Highly recommended, especially if you have read any of the previous runs.

HOUR OF THE WOLF #1 by Mark London and Danilo Beyruth. Mad cave is trying to establish its’ own universe which started with REVOLUTION 9 and will soon include EXIT CITY. This is the middle release and the promise from Mad Cave is that they will all come together in a final crossover. I really liked REVOLUTION 9 and was looking forward to this. And it delivers. There’s a strange, highly sought after painting that leads people into another world and traps them there. It’s very weird, slightly creepy and a whole lot of strange fun. I’m curious to see how these series and the forthcoming one will come together but count me in for the ride.

HOW TO STEAL AN ELECTION BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE DOES #1 by Elisa Pocetta and Matteo Pizzolo. When a candidate running for President finds out her campaign is in deep trouble because of some leaked nudes, she goes into action to fight back and enlists a little help along the way. This is a fun, sexy and somewhat obscene journey filled with some great nods to current and past political situations. The story is a real trip and the Anime style artwork further enhances it. This is a sleeper for sure as far as collectors but it fits my reading perfectly. Basically, it was a fun read and I can’t wait for the rest of the series.

HYDE STREET #1 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. Another new title as part of the Ghost Machine line of books. And this one is really trippy. Welcome to Hyde Street where folks who have skeletons in their closet will pay for their crimes while a former ad executive and a boy scout compete to complete their quotas. The story is a grim one and Reis’ art is dynamic! This is such a fun book in a creepy sort of way, with a back story for the ad executive that fills in a bunch of details. Where is Hyde Street and how do you get there? Still to be revealed and I cannot wait. 

IRON MAN #1 by Spencer Ackerman and Julius Ohta. Because, Marvel just LOVES turning out new first issues when there seems to be no need. But here we go again. After the events in the last series, Tony Stark has managed to get Stark Unlimited back in his control. Unfortunately, it looks like A.I.M. and Roxxon are looking to take it over and use it to start making weapons once again. And that’s where Tony’s problems begin and it only gets worse from there. The story is fine, the art is acceptable and tis could be a fun storyline. But that remains to be seen. For now, it’s a great filer until something better comes along. 

IT HAPPENED ON HYDE STREET: DEVOUR #1 by Maytal Zchut and Leila Leiz. This one shot from out of the Ghost Machine initiative, ties directly into the HYDE STREET series. So, you’re getting married and you need to lose some weight. That leads you to Fat Free where you get your weight loss solution. Well, maybe not the BEST solution, but it is something your mother and grandmother have used. Let’s just say that the results may be fine but the way to get there isn’t pretty. A wonderful little horror tale with some nice body horror twists in it.

MARK SPEARS MONSTERS #1 by Mark Spears. This was a recommendation from my LCS and I’m glad he called this out to me. It is filled with vampires, werewolves and some of the most amazing photorealistic art out there. The story bounces between the past and the present and that means the art shifts between color and black and white. The story is okay but you’re really going to want to go in for the art.

MINKY WOODCOCK: THE GIRL CALLED CTHULHU #1 by Cynthia Von Buhler. Well, this is a ton of fun expanding on research done by Von Buhler. This is her third book to utilize Mindy Woodcock, following both THE GIRL WHO HANDCUFFED HOUDINI and THE GIRL WHO ELECTRIFIED TESLA. In all fairness, I didn’t read either and now I’m bummed about it. Woodcock is a private investigator who gets involved with Betty May, Houdini, HP Lovecraft and Aleister Crowley, among others. The art is very cartoony and has a nice 1920’s feel to it. Von Buhler is an award winning author and artist and this book is just a great, refreshing read.

MOON KNIGHT: FIST OF KHONSHU #1 by Jed MacKay and Alessandro Cappuccio. Marc Spector died saving New York City and he was replaced by his friends and followers at the Midnight Mission. But Spector got resurrected by Khonshu. So the original Moon Knight is back in a new series that picks up threads from the previous series. It’s okay, especially if you are a fan of the character and the mythology surrounding him. Again, your mileage made vary a bit but it’s a decent title.

MYSTIQUE #1 by Declan Shalvey. Everyone’s favorite Mutant hero/anti-hero is here with a four-issue mini-series with Mystique seemingly playing both sides as she looks for something named Protozoa. Throw in Sabretooth, Maverick, Maria Hill, and both Nick Furys. Shalvey’s story is an intriguing one and his art fits his style. It ends with a cliffhanger and I cannot wait for issue #2.

OLD DOG: OPERATIONS #1 by Declan Shalvey, Leonardo Romero, PJ Holden, Alex Paknadel, Rory McConville, Charles Soule, Sumeyve Kesgin, Gavin Guidry, Matias Bergara, and John McCrea. A short story anthology featuring former CIA operative Jack Lynch and his supporting cast. It’s a wild, often confusing ride, especially if you did not read the previous series. But, for those fans, you get a bit of back story into how Jack became who he currently is. Again, it will certainly appeal to readers who jumped on the original run. New readers? You probably want to seek out the predecessor.

PSYLOCKE #1 by Alyssa Wong and Vincenzo Carratu. Here comes another Mutant mini-series, following the fall of Krakoa. Psylocke gets involved with a group kidnapping mutant children and the deeper she goes, the more intense it gets. The story is okay while the art really shines. It is one of those books that will truly just attract a core group of readers, especially when you realize that this only briefly ties into the main Mutant continuity. Overall, it’s not bad, just not great.

THE ROCKETFELLERS #1 by Peter J. Tomasi and Francis Manapul. Here’s the story of a family in the 25th century that is forced to flee to 2024 and live their life here and now, even as they are trying to get back to their own time and stop the impending evil present. Basically, it is a little like LOST IN SPACE meets the FANTASTIC FOUR but with a bit more humor. That’s the best way I can describe it. The story is a ton of fun, the dialogue is snappy, and the whole concept of a future family having to learn to live in the present  is pretty cool. And the art surely helps push things along. If you’ve been reading any of the GHOST MACHINE titles, you’ll love this one too.

SENTINELS #1 by Alex Paknadel and Justin Mason. Here is a weird mini-series that comes after the Fall of Krakoa. And I don’t quite know what to make of it. A team has been put together with enhanced abilities, thanks to a resurrected Lawrence Trask and his using patients from a VA Hospital to be turned into his hybrids. Are they the good guys or the bad? It’s tough to say. They get sent on missions and with the head of Greymalkin involved, you know it could go badly fast for everyone involved. The story is a little cut and paste and the art is okay. Not my favorite new title of these new Mutant based series.

SHI: RETURN OF THE WARRIOR #1 by Steven Peros, Billy Tucci, Gardenio Lima, and Ricardo Silva. Thirty years ago, Billy Tucci created this amazing warrior woman and the book, coming out in a time when “girl heroes” weren’t popular was an amazing success. Now, Ana Ishikawa is back, in a story set fifteen years after Ana hung up her armor. She now has a daughter named Hotaru and her ex-husband is in jail. Her daughter has leaned the ways of the warrior, even as the two of them try to live normal lives. But the past comes back to their doorstep and it looks like the war is ready to begin again. For those of us who enjoyed this book back in the day, it is good to have Ana come home. The story fills in some gaps and leaves a lot of breadcrumbs for the future.

STORM #1 by Murewa Ayddele and Lucas Werneck. The aftermath of the end of the Krakoan Age continues on with this new series featuring Storm. And it starts with a bang as a nuclear explosion sets things in motion, as it appears to be caused by a mutant whose powers have just activated. Or is it due to the engineers who were doing shady things? This presents a more human side to Storm than usual as she must decide which story is the one she should present to a public face, plus dealing with the death and destruction. Werneck’s art is top notch here and Ayddele has definitely put their heart into it. One of the better off-shoot series, by the feel of it.

SWEET PAPRIKA: OPEN FOR BUSINESS #1 by Steve Orlando and Emilio Pilliu. Coming on the heels of Mirka Andolfo’s highly acclaimed SWEET PAPRIKA comes this sequel, which it should be noted does not involve Andolfo at all, except for a variant cover. It would take me too long to try and explain the whole back story but this series concentrates on Aubrey and Persica and how they have to move through their professional lives along with being involved in a queer open relationship. That having been said, this series is not for everyone, especially if you are offended by moments of male on male sex. But the characters are well developed and the dialogue is perfect for these characters.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES MUTANT NATION #1 by Tom Waltz, Erik Burnham, Vincenzo Federici, and Mateus Santolouco. Coming out of the run that ended the last series, we get another series featuring various TMNT cast members. Two stories here, focusing on two brothers and also Casey Jones. I have to say that the recent reboot books have caught my attention and got me back into the Turtles yet again. It’s just a ton of fun for some of us who grew up with the classic series.

THE TERMINATOR #1 by Declan Shalvey and Luke Sparrow. I had some high hopes for this series but they have fallen short. What we get is a Terminator chases a couple who have been on the run for some time. The back story for them is a little fuzzy , but basically they get tracked down and killed. End. To top it off, there is a two-page backup by Sal Crivelli and Colin Craker that is the start of a series of stories and, even though the art is suitable, it also did nothing for me. Mileage may vary but this one didn’t hit home with me at all.

THE TIN CAN SOCIETY #1 by  Peter Warren and Francesco Mobili. While a tight group of children have all grown up and gone their separate ways, one of them has been brutally murdered, leading to a reunion and the realization that one of them may actually be the killer. What’s more: the murdered man was a superhero. An interesting look at friendship and how that friendship may have created these events. This is another book that I think will fly under the radar but is definitely worth checking out.

VIOLENT FLOWERS #1 by Maria Llovet. I have become a huge fan of Llovet since seeing her work on such titles as LUNA, THESSALY, NIGHTMARE COUNTRY and, most recently CRAVE. Her style is unusual and so are those stories she crafts. This is no exception, as the theme is vampiric but also contains elements of lesbianism and horror of a magical bent. Picture the work of such masters as Milo Manara and Guido Crapax and you have her style. Her work is certainly not for everyone and, if you read CRAVE, which truly pushed the boundaries of taste, but it is captivating, nonetheless. Highly recommended for folks with an open mind.

WOODSTAKE #1 by Darin S. Cape and Felipe Kroll. So here is one heck of a cool concept that, thanks to my LCS, I got turned onto. It’s 1969 and folks are heading to the Woodstock festival. Unfortunately, there is evil afoot there in the form of vampires. Yep: vampires at Woodstock! This first issue sets things up and, therefore, there are a lot of missing details in the plot. And that’s okay as you get a taste of what is to come. Not to mention, the artwork is amazing! Apparently, there was a #0 issue that came out August that I now have to find to get the prologue to this whole thing. A fun, sometimes comedic romp!