DC UNIVERSE Month 22, Part 1

ACTION COMICS #1015 by Brian Michael Bendis and Szymon Kudranski. Naomi lands in Metropolis and meets with Superman. Batman checks her out with his detective skills and tells her that she is not Leviathan. Later, Red Cloud battles Thorn until Superman arrives and she takes him down.

AQUAMAN #52 by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Robson Rocha. Aquaman, Aqualad and the Elder Gods battle the great sea monster, with Ralph getting killed in the process. At the memorial service, a stranger who says he is Tristram Maurer introduces himself to Aquaman. Elsewhere, Black Manta has taken Luthor’s offer and prepares for an assault on Aquaman.

BATGIRL #39 by Cecil CastelluccI and Carmine Digiandomenico. Oracle continues to run simulations on how to defeat Batgirl. But when these all fail to come up with a solution, she forces the Terrible Trio to continue to look for answers or else. Batgirl patrols Burnside and finds that everyone has been affected by Luthor’s offer. In the end, Oracle lights up Burnside in the shape of a bat in an effort to find Batgirl.

BATMAN #78 by Tom King and Clay Mann. Batman and Selina share some quiet time before they head off to the City of Bane. Before an issue ending kiss, he admits he is not himself without her.

BATMAN #79 by Tom King and Clay Mann. Selina reveals that her contacts have found Magpie who has venom, meaning this Dynamic Duo can get the venom and return to Gotham. They battle Magpie, with Selena taking a diamond necklace from Magpie’s neck, along with the venom. They tell her to go back to Gotham and report to Bane.

BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #5 by Bryan Hill and Dexter Soy. Black Lightning and Katana have made it to Kadym where they track down Sofia. They battle and she finally says she needs help and they can trust her. Meanwhile, Ishmael attacks Orphan and The Signal.

BATMAN BEYOND #36 by Dan Jurgens and Rick Leonardi. Flash has arrived to help Ten in her battle with False Face and Splitt. He learns that Splitt is dying and tries to help save them by using a huge power source. But False Face shows up and the device explodes, killing Splitt and False Face. If that’s true, how does Terry end up back in his own body? I the end, a new Batwoman is planning to start her career. But who is she?

BATMAN/SUPERMAN #2 by Joshua Williamson and David Marquez. Batman and Superman battled an infected Shazam, with Batman taking the worst of it. After, he wakes in the Fortress of Solitude and the pair work out a plan. Superman visits the captive Batman Who Laughs and allows himself to be infected. Elsewhere, an infected Jim Gordon meets with a mysterious stranger.

CATWOMAN #15 by Ram V and Mirka Andolfo. Catwoman battles Lock-Up, forcing him to reveal ho his employers are. She breaks into a dinner arty held by some of Creel’s associates. She has the file she was looking for and claims she lets them operate at her convenience now. In the end, Karen Rain shoots Catwoman again, but this Catwoman in the Gentleman Ghost. Rain is revealed to be False Face. Ghost gets the file and False Face is alowed to go free.

DEATHSTROKE #47 by Christopher Priest, Fernando Pasarin and Carlo Pagulayan. Slade is alive and wakes up in the company of Hosun, who apparently is not surprised. Slade realizes who was responsible for everything. Slade attacks him, tracks him down and shoots him. Meanwhile, Rose confronts Red Arrow, but lets her live. In Arkansas, a strange shooting looks like a major development as a mysterious doctor gets involved.

DETECTIVE COMICS #1011 by Peter J. Tomasi and Christian Duce. Bruce continues to recover in the company of World War II pilots Hiroshi and Clarence. That as earlier, but now he has sewn bat ears on a pilot’s helmet and is taking on Deadshot. Deadshot gets hit with the fallen WWII plane that Bruce rigged up, but not without Hiroshi getting shot by Deadshot. Batman takes down Deadshot, Hiroshi lives and, despite a rescue team arriving, decides to stay on the island with Clarence, In the end, Mr. Freeze sends out his associates to kidnap women who match his wife’s attributes.

DETECTIVE COMICS #1012 by Peter J. Tomasi and Doug Mahnke. Mr. Freeze’s associates have been kidnapping people to freeze them and see if Luthor’s serum works. But they all died, so now he has them capturing women that look similar to Nora. One of their kidnapping results in the woman getting injured, so they leave her behind. Because of it, Freeze kills the henchman. When the woman wakes, she calls police. Luckily, Batman is listening to the police dispatch.

DIAL H FOR HERO #7 by Sam Huphries, Joe Quinones, Colleen Doran, Michael Avon Oeming, Erica Henderson and Stacey Lee. With everyone in Metropolis being turned into superheroes, we get the origins of Sir Prize, Phantasma, Lucy The Monster Hunter, and Guardian Angel. In the end, the Operator reveals that his legacy was creating Mister Thunderbolt.

DOOMSDAY CLOCK #11 by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank. The scientists has moved the Doomsday Clock to one minute to midnight and it looks like the end of the world may be looming. Alfred reads Rorschach’s journal and goes to find Reggie Long to tell him that he and  Batman believe him. Ozymandias has set up a headquarters in an abandoned storage area and has Imra and Johnny locked up. He tells her that Nite Owl and Silk Spectre adopted Marionette’s son. The file that he found in the Oval Office and he the one whose manipulation of Ronnie led to the Moscow event that discredited Superman. The blue energy that caused the explosion was from Bubastis, but was designed to make the heroes think it was Dr. Manhattan, leading them to the battle on Mars. Saturn Girl says she has seen the future and Adrian’s plan won’t work. He asks her if Superman remembers he and, when she answers no, she fades from existence, leaving only her Legion flight ring behind. He walks past a crying Johnny Thunder, who sits in his cell with the Green Lantern beside him. Lex tells Lois about Ozymandias coming to his office, and how he was shot when the Comedian showed up. Lex takes Lois to his secret vault, where he reveals that he was present when Wally West came back during REBIRTH. He found chronal debris that included  the Justice Society film he sent to her. He also found the picture of Jon and Janey Slater, along with several others from various points in time. He refers to them as “breadcrumbs”. In New York, Wonder Woman is battling Black Adam, believes the “Supermen Theory” and is preparing for war. The Amazons show up and takes Diana back home, leaving “man’s world” to figure everything out. The Army breaks into the Hall of Justice to bring Superman to the president. He flies to the White House, where he finds Black Adam preparing to attack. Superman flies off to where Dr. Manhattan is waiting for him.

In the back-up, the Jon and Janey photographs are revealed. One is from Carver Colman’s home from April 18, 1938-, the day the Golden Age Superman debuted. Another is from Carver Colman’s dressing room after the Academy Awards. A third is from the train wreck in July 1940, which was when Dr. Manhattan moved Alan Scott’s Green Lantern and caused the JSA to never be formed.  A fourth is from November 1940 from Wesley Dodds house, who dreamed about Jon named him Dr. Manhattan. A fifth is from 1955 when Dr. Manhattan sat alone in the diner and realized Coleman was going to die. The sixth is from Smallvile in 1956 when the Silver Age Superman debuted. The seventh is from Smallville in 1986, when the post CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS Superman debuted. An eighth photo was found in Reggie Long’s cell in Arkham. The ninth was found recently in the Congo Basin. A tenth was found in a movie theater showing a NATHANIEL DUSK movie marathon. The eleventh was found in the Joker’s safe house following his encounter with Ozymandias, Marionette, Comedian and Mime. The twelfth was found following Wally West’s return. It shows Jay Garrick and Barry Allen from the FLASH OF TWO WORLDS story from THE FLASH #123. Lex muses how he believes that Jon is the cause of the DC Universe’ revisionist reality.

EVENT LEVIATHAN #4 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. While the heroes continue to try and deduce who Leviathan is, Lois is camped out at Wayne Manor, where The Silencer is watching her. A team led by Zatanna meets with Lois and tells her they know who Leviathan is and that Lois won’t like it. Batgirl may have the answer, but her transmission to the heroes breaks off before she can reveal it.

THE FLASH #78 by Joshua Williamson and Rafa Sandoval. Psych has used his powers, which has Steadfast to unleash his powers. Fuerza attacks Psych, but he uses the Sage Force to get away, which alerts the Black Flash. Commander Cold reveals that the Speed Force is dying Black Flash will try to kill all the possessors of the other forces in order to save it. Barry has a plan and, when the Speed Force dies, so will Black Flash. Black Flash is pursuing Psych and Barry gives chase, but can’t catch up. Once he arrives, he finds Psych dead. This is where the issue leaves us. Meanwhile, the Rogues find Mirror Master, who refuses to join them and they leave to find Golden Glider.

THE FLASH #79 by Joshua Williamson and Rafa Sandoval. Flash returns to the secret lab with the dead Psych and Fuerza attacks Barry, blaming his death on the fact he would not let them come along. Barry has now gotten faster with Psych’ death. In an autopsy, they find that Psych’ Force was severed from his body. Iris arrives and explains how bad a shape Wally is in following the events in HEROES IN CRISIS. Hunter Zoloman arrives and kidnaps Steadfast, but it seems that Black Flash is in pursuit. Elsewhere, the Rogues find Golden Glider and convince her to join them.

THE GREEN LANTERN #11 by Grant Morrison and Liam Sharp. The Lanterns from the Multiverse meet with The Golden Lantern-the guardian of the Cosmic Grail. He leads Hal to meet with the Star Sapphire of another Earth. It gets revealed that the Cosmic Grail is actually broken and the Golden Lantern has been kidnapping Lanterns to act as his Knights of the Cosmic Grail. The Lanterns of the Multiverse arrest him and then head off to battle Qwa-Man.

HARLEY QUINN #65 by Sam Humphries and Sami Basri. Harley is mourning her mother, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t end up continuing her trials. She meets with Mirand’r, who explains she died but ended up being saved by the Lords of Chaos and Order. Harley decides that she needs to move on and that leads to her passing the final trial. She will now be the Angel of Retribution, which is going to be presented to her by the Lords of Chaos and Order.

HARLEY QUINN & POISON IVY #1 by Jody Houser and Adriana Melo. Coming out of HEROES IN CRISIS, Poison Ivy, who was murdered and then reborn as a true plant creature thanks to a flower Harley had given her. Lex Luthor’s robot emissary shows up and gives Ivy some fertilizer that stabilizes her and allows her to be more like a human again. But her powers go out of control, thanks to Dr. Jason Woodrue, the Floronic Man, and one-time university instructor to Pamela Isely (if that continuity holds, and I think it has for this story,) who is part of this new Legion of Doom Lex Luthor has arranged from beyond the grave. So that will be a thing. 

HAWKMAN #16 by Robert Venditti and Pat Olliffe. In the past, Hawkman and The Shade team up to battle Gentleman Ghost. In the present, Hawkman and The Shade are in the Shadowlands, battling their way through and having to deal with a Shadowlands dragon. In the end, Hawkman is back in our world and ready to take on The Shadow Thief.

INFERIOR 5 #1 by Keith Giffen, Jeff Lemire and Michelle Delecki. Welcome to Dangerfield, Arizona in a post-INVASION world. A young girl is menaced by a small person named Billy ho is wearing a bag with an X on it. In Dangerfield, a young man named Justin, whose dad was killed in Metropolis during the invasion, lives in a dilapidated home with his mother. A girl named Lisa is in a local comic shop, complaining how bad issue #37 of INVASION is. Vance an Theresa, who he calls Dumb Bunny, are shopping in a record store, unaware their actions are being observed. Lisa meets with Helen and finds that Justin is a new kid who needs to be warned. Perhaps too late, as Justin comes home to find his house covered in red ‘X’s. Not long before, a person in a containment suit was talking with Billy to ask if he had gotten Justin’s mom and was she still alive. In the back-up, Peacekeeper meets with Amanda Waller and Rick Flagg. He visits a former cell of the Dominators and finds a map…detailing Dangerfield, Arizona.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #31 by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV and Jorge Jimenez. Lex Luthor and Perpetua are hoping that the Anti-Monitor will come to their side. In the past, John Stewart and Barry Allen meet with The Justice Society of America and explain what is happening in the present. In the future, the Trinity has teamed up with Kamandi, who explains what happened after the Great Disaster before they all have to fight Brainiac’s robots. They discover that Brainiac has captured fragments of Hypertime and imprisoned hundreds of possible futures. They commandeer his ship and head off, only to encounter Justice Legion A, who are aligned with Brainiac. The rest of the League is heading off to find the Anti-Monitor. Shayne realizes that Lex and Perpetua are on their way to Godhead, so Starman sends out a message to the other teams. The JSA/Stewart Allen team are in 1941 and Pearl Harbor is being attacked, with the help of the Legion of Doom. In the end, at the End of the Universe, The Anti-Monitor informs Aquaman that his former team is coming.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #32 by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV and Howard Porter. Lex is under attack by Shayera Hol and the Thanagarian Fleet, but their attack is useless. In the past, The JSA team battles to save Pearl Harbor and gets much needed help from Aquaman. In the future, the Trinity, after freeing Justice Legion A’s Hourman from Brainiac’s control, battles alongside Justice Legion A and then faces Brainiac One Million. Finally, Lex and Perpetua get a message from The Anti Monitor who informs them that he is siding with the Justice League.

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #15 by James Tynion IV and Alvaro Martínez Bueno. Eclipso is about to be unleashed by Circe, so Wonder Woman instructs Bobo to help Swamp Thing to enter the green and find out what Circe is up to. In the Amazon, Bushmaster and Jason Woodrue come upon the Parliament of Flowers, where they encounter Swamp Thing. Woodrue infects Swamp Thing with rot and he transports back to Justice League Dark. Khalid and Bobo find Man Bat, who injects himself and transforms into a multi-headed monster. In the Himalayas, Grundy and Klarion a guardian and his army of skeleton men. Beneath the Hall of Justice, Wonder Woman has a treasure trove of magic artifacts including the black diamond of Eclipso, which houses an Eclipso who is begging to be released. Kent and Zatanna use their powers, amplified by the diamond, to transport Diana to Witchfire. But all is not safe there.

JUSTICE LEAGUE ODYSSEY #13 by Dan Abnett and Will Conrad. With Jessica Cruz killed by Cyborg, Okkult, Dex-Starr and Arla Hax are trying to summon New Gods to help fight Darkseid. They use the Summoner’s Omega energy to bring Jessica, Blackfire, and the block to them, with the energy resurrecting Jessica through her ring. She ties to contact the Justice League but Okkult is blocking her transmission. Darkseid’s paradeamons attack the ship and Jessica, firing Omega beams from her arm, destroys them.

DC UNIVERSE Month 21, Part 2

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #14 by James Tynion IV  and Alvarez Martínez Bueno. During the middle of a dream, Wonder Woman learns from Zatara that the Upside-Down Man is in league with Circe to start the Witching War. But he’s not alone as his team includes the Floronic Man, The Upside Down Man, Solomon Grundy, Papa Midnite, and Klarion the Witch Boy. Elsewhere, the rest of the team fights feral vampires.

JUSTICE LEAGUE ODYSSEY #12 by Dan Abnett and Will Conrad. Darkseid is powerful again and manages to turn most of the team to be under his control. Jessica fights back but, in the end, she is no match and is destroyed by Darkseid.

LOIS LANE #2 by Greg Rucka and Mike Perkins. The Question continues to investigate Mariska’s death, eventually coming back to Lois to inform her she is convinced it was murder. After meeting with Agger, she later tries to meet with him again, before an assassin takes him out, leading her to question who the actual target was.

NIGHTWING #63 by Dan Jurgens and Roman Cliquet. Ric teams up with the Nightwings, a William Cobb comes to the city. After a taxi ride from Ric, he goes after the Nightwings, critically injuring Zak. In the end, Cobb shows up at the bar and introduces himself to Bea.

RED HOOD OUTLAW #37 by Scott Lobdell and Kenneth Rocafort. Jason Todd has accepted the offer from Lex and sets about training a team made up of DNA, Babe In Arms, Cloud 9 and Devour. In the end, they go off to fight an alien creature that is referred to as Doomsday’s brother.

SINESTRO THE YEAR OF THE VILLAIN #1 by Mark Russell and Yildiray Cinar. Luthor sends Sinestro to encounter the Paragons, who are finding a way to stop the progress towards Doom. He learns that the Paragons live alongside the Microns who live their lives to service the Paragons. He creates a way to lengthen the lives of the Microns and together. They defeat and destroys all of the Paragons, save one, who is forced to become Sinestro’s slave.

SUPERGIRL #33 by Marc Andreyko and Eduardo Pansica. The war with Zaar is over and a new United Planets federation has emerged, along with the Legion of Super-Heroes who want to recruit Superboy. Supergirl says goodbye to Z’ndr and heads back to Earth.

SUPERMAN #14 by Brian Michael Bendis and Ivan Reis. Jor-El has led his enemies to the graveyard of Krypton where a battle ensues between the House of El, allied by Zod, and Rogol Zaar, with Jax-Ur. They manage to defeat the villains, but the the Thanagarians arrive and arrest them. In the end, the Legion of Superheroes arrive and invite Jon to join them.

SUPERMAN’S PAL JIMMY OLSEN #2 by Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber. Jimmy continues to relate past adventures, including meeting with his brother and clowning around with Superman. In the end, he’s still hiding out and makes a call to Lois.

TEEN TITANS #33 by Adam Glass and Sean Chen. While Lobo considers an offer from Lex, the Teen Titans battle Behemoth and Shimmer. Later, Djinn uses her powers on the siblings to try to fix them, as she apparently already has done to Brother Blood, Gizmo, the Atomic Skull, Onomatropoeisa and Swerve.

THE TERRIFICS #19 by Gene Luen Yang and Max Raynor. It’s life on Bizarro World, where we see Mr. Terrible and his T-Globs. But this makes Bizarro upset, causing him to recreate things his way by fighting Dr. Magnuts and his Metazarro Men. He founds his on team of The Terribles and they make their way to Earth-), where they confront The Terrifics.

WONDER WOMAN #76 by G. Willow Wilson and Lee Garbett. Diana and her mother that the portal between Themyscira and Earth is stable, leading Diana heading back into our world along with Atlantiades. But she promises Isadore After reuniting with Steve and that she will bring her mother back to her Aphrodite, she heads off to tell Veronica Cale the news about her daughter, leading to their reuniting. In the end, Cheetah shows up and kills Aphrodite with God Killer.

WONDER WOMAN #77 by G. Willow Wilson and Jesus Merino. Atlantiades and Steve return home from grocery shopping to find Aphrodite dead. Diana arrives, sees bloody footprints and realizes Cheetah is responsible. Atlantiades and Diana take the body of Aphrodite to Themyscira for a proper burial and then goes after Cheetah. When they meet, they battle. In the end, Grail and her army meet three women with a prophecy.

DC UNIVERSE Month 21, Part 1

ACTION COMICS #1014 by Brian Michael Bendis and Szymon Kudranski. Marisol Leone, current owner of the Daily Planet, finally introduces herself to Perry White and insists that she wants to report real news. Superman investigates and battles a monster at S.T.A.R. Labs, only to discover that the place has been hiding creatures and doing illegal experiments on them. Later Thorn tracks down Strong and the Mayor and attacks them, but that leads to a battle Red Cloud. In the end, Superman sees a falling being in Metropolis, which leads him to investigate and meets Naomi.

AQUAMAN #51 by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Robson Rocha. Aquaman has gotten Aqualad out of jail and they head to Amnesty Island, where the elder sea gods are settling.  Their goal is to rebuild and reestablish Maurer’s lighthouse. Later, they fight a sea monster. Meanwhile, Mera is making preparations for her wedding to Vulko and is stalling to buy time. Elsewhere, Black Manta, Aqualad’s father, makes a deal with Luthor, which results in him getting a Mecha Manta which is infused with his father’s DNA.

BATGIRL #38 by Cecil Castellucci and Carmine Digiandomenico. Oracle is reborn and introduces herself to the Terrible Trio. Her goal is to hack into all computer systems so she can find out who she is and what her purpose is, which she manages to do that, even as the Trio try, at times, to stop her. Elsewhere, Batgirl battles Killer Moth twice. In the end, Oracle has a goal: destroy Batgirl.

BATMAN #76 by Tom King and Tony S. Daniel. Captain Atom is facing off with Gotham Girl, who . He demands that he leaves, but they fight and she defeats him and tosses him out of Gotham. Later at the hospital, a recovering Captain Atom tells Damien Wayne how he was beaten and arrested. Damien goes off to talk to Tim Drake, who reminds him that if any of the family is caught in Gotham Alfred will be killed by Bane. Elsewhere, The Tweedledum twins, Scarecrow, and Kite Man are fleeing from a gun toting Thomas Wayne. Scarecrow and Kite Man sacrifice the twins to flee, but are eventually caught by Wayne at their lair. Meanwhile, Selina is in Paris, where she watches over a comatose Bruce.

BATMAN #77 by Tom King, Mikel Janin and Tony S. Daniel. Damien is being tracked by Gotham Girl inside of Gotham, which leads to a confrontation between the two. He uses the Wand of Klarion to bind Gotham Girl, with allows him to continue on and, after beating up Scarecrow and Victor Zsasz, leads to a confrontation with Thomas Wayne. A fight ensues and Damien is captured. He awakes in the mansion where Bane snaps Alfred’s neck, killing him. Meanwhile, Selina and Bruce are in Paris where, after much discussion, they suit up to go and take Gotham back.

BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #4 by Bryan Hill and Dexter Soy. Ra's continues to try and convince Sofia into joining him and he may have succeeded. Back in Gotham, Bruce tells Black Lightning to gather the team at the Batcave, where they plan on how to get Sofia back. But that may be too late as Sofia is now side by side with Ra’s.

BATMAN BEYOND #35 by Dan Jurgens and Rick Leonardi. The Splitt and False Face team up as The Splitt revels they were born as shadow twins. They also reveal that their speed ability is prematurely aging them and they are really only six years old. False Face agrees to work with them to help them. Seeing the problem, and with Robin having been ground, Ten goes off to face the villains and is beaten. A mysterious stranger meets with Bruce and Matt and goes off to help. That stranger turns out to be The Flash. Elsewhere, Terry finds herself on the run from the police, who want him for murdering a woman, even though he is innocent.

BATMAN/SUPERMAN #1 by Joshua Williamson and David Marquez. We begin with Superman getting a distress call from Batman, which leads him to the Watchtower where he sees all of his Justice League compatriots are dead and he comes face to face with The Batman Who Laughs. Next, we see life on Earth-0, where Commissioner Gordon explains about a boy ho has been taken captive by the Superman Who Laughs. Batman and Superman head to Crime Alley where they find The Batman Who Laughs Batcave. They encounter one of the Robins, who reveals his name is Billy…Billy Batson, who uses his magic word to turn into the Shazam Who Laughs.

BLACK MASK: YEAR OF THE VILLAIN #1 by Tom Taylor  and Cully Hamner. In a partial reveal of his origin, Roman Sionis and his parents were the faces of Janus Cosmetics. His father was also abusive. He goes to visit a young Bruce Wayne and is inspired by the tribal masks on display at the mansion. Sometime later, he kills his parents and adopts a new persona. Later, following his escape from the Teen titans, he encounters the holographic Luthor, who gives him new powers to alter his face, and that leads to him impersonating the head of a pharmaceutical company. That leads Batwoman and Montoya to intervene, but his ability to change his look allows him to escape and continue his forthcoming reign of terror.

CATWOMAN #14 by V. Ram and Mirka Andolfo. Selina is tasked with a mission, runs afoul of Nobody and ends up being shot, but gets rescued by Gentleman Ghost. But it looks like she’s not out of the woods yet, as she wants revenge and someone wants her dead.

DEATHSTROKE #46 by Christopher Priest and Fernando Pasarin. Jericho is offered a gift from Luthor which he accepts. He also manages to capture Red Arrow and get inside her head. Meanwhile, Rose is tracking Shado, which leads to a brawl until Jericho takes his sister out of the fight, insisting she needs to led Slade’s death go. Later, Joey uses his powers to convince his boyfriend to stay with him. And a body shows up at his apartment that looks like it could be…Deathstroke?

DETECTIVE COMICS #1009 by Peter J. Tomasi and Christian Duce. Bruce, Lucius, Alfred and others are on a flight that Deadshot is also on. Deadshot has been paid to take them out and the ensuing chaos results in a plane crash. Elsewhere, Mr. Freeze prepares to use Luthor’s gift to bring his wife back to life.

DETECTIVE COMICS #1010 by Peter J. Tomasi and Christian Duce. After having been hijacked by Deathstroke, Bruce Wayne’s plane has crash landed on an island inhabited by two World War II pilots who have been there for seventy-five years. They patch Bruce up as they tell him how they came to be on the island and live all these years. Meanwhile, Deadshot has got all the other survivors captive while trying to find Bruce. In he process, Deadshot is attacked by a anther which he shoots before it runs back to the pilots, leading Bruce to borrow some gear and suit up. In the epilogue, Mister Freeze is looking forward to his gift and bringing his wife back to life.

DIAL H FOR HERO #6 by Sam Humphries and Joe Quinones. Mr. Thunderbolt has handed out the H Dial to everyone in Metropolis, meaning the city is now filled with new super characters. Summer has turned into Lo Lo Kick You to try to counter the effects. Miguel is with the Operator who tells him to use the H-Dial to repair everything, which he finally does and turns into SuperMiguel. He uses his new powers to saves a plane full of passengers, which allows him to emulate his childhood hero Superman. In the end, Miguel meets up with Summer and Mr. Thunderbolt has designs on gaining the other three dials and taking on the Multiverse.

EVENT LEVIATHAN #3 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. The team of Batman, Green Arrow, Lois Lane, Plastic Man, the Question and Martian Manhunter continue to try and figure out who Leviathan is. Lois meets with Red Hood, the prime suspect, who reveals that they should find Amanda Waller. Waller gets confronted by Leviathan, telling him/her she knows their identity. That is when Superman arrives.

THE FLASH #76 by Joshua Williamson and Rafa Sandoval. Flash is seen helping around the world while Kid Flash and Avery battle with Tarpit and Girder, with Barry finally showing up to lend a hand. The three race off to the Flash Museum, where Barry vibrates them into a painting that transports them to a new command center. In Barcelona, Heat Wave is causing havoc and gets an assist from an upgraded Captain Cold. With the upgrade, he has created a new heat gun and now they look to put the Rogues back together. Back in the ab, Flash explains how the Speed Force is slowing down and that’s when Black Flash shows up. He digs his claws into Steadfast, declaring that the new forces must die.

THE FLASH #77 by Joshua Williamson and Rafa Sandoval. Over in the Amazon, Captain Cold and Heat Wave have arrived and are convincing Weather Wizard to join them. Back in Fash’ command center, Black Flash is sucking the life out of Steadfast but Barry manages to rescue him. Steadfast uses his Still Force power to confuse Black Flash. But he is still on the hunt for new Force users, so Flash and Steadfast head to Corto Maltese where Fuerza is battling King Shark. After much internal debate, she agrees to join them. They head off to Zandia where they meet with Psych. But Psych uses his powers to make Steadfast use his powers and make his escape. This makes Steadfast’s powers go out of control.

THE GREEN LANTERN #10 by Grant Morrison and Liam Sharp. 48 hours removed from last issue, Hal is on a journey with of Earth-36, the hippie of Earth-47and the Bat Lantern of Earth-32 on a trip through the Multiverse. Hal eventually wakes in Universe Zero with Strong Girl by his side, where he gets to meet with the Green Lanterns of the Multiverse. They explain the Lanterns of the Multiverse have been disappearing. They travel to Earth-15, where they encounter zombie versions of the Trinity.

HARLEY QUINN #64 by Sam Humphries and Sami Basri. Harley’s mom is dying, so she reads to her from HARLEY QUINN #64, where she is faced with an offer from Lex. Along the way, a naked Bane shows up, as does The Penguin. She also teams up with Clark and Lois and Justice League Dark, but Lex keeps popping up. In the end, he reveals he can cure Cancer. But is happens too late as Death comes and claims her mom.

HAWKMAN #15 by Robert Venditti and Pat Olliffe. Hawkman flies to Opal City to meet with The Shade, to get help in getting his shadow back. Shadow Thief arrives and tries to take The Shade’s shadow, which ends up creating a doorway to The Shadowlands, which is where our heroes end up.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #29 by James Tynion IV, Scott Snyder and Jorge Jimenez. Batman sees what has happened and what will become of the world if they don’t stop the Legon of Doom. Meanwhile, Lex reveals he has a piece of Jarro and that allows him to see the heroes’ plan

JUSTICE LEAGUE #30 by James Tynion IV, Scott Snyder and Jorge Jimenez. With Hawkgirl still upset over what happened to Martian Manhunter, the heroes concoct their plan. Flash and John Stewart are off to the past while the Trinity are heading into the future, all in an effort to regain hidden pieces of the Totality. In the future, the team encounters Kamandi and his friends while Flash and Green Lantern meet the Justice Society of America.

More first issues

ABSOLUTE CARNAGE #1 by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman. Here’s Marvel next big event book and, based on initial sales and response, it’s truly an event book. Carnage is back and he’s poised to gather up all the missing pieces of the symbiote that has made it’s way to other people. So, Spidey and Venom have to team up and let’s not forget that Norman Osborn is infected too. A huge, pricey read but a great start to this mini-series that reaches through so many titles to come.

AGE OF X-MAN OMEGA #1 by Zac Thompson, Lonnie Nadler and Simone Buonfantino. Another Marvel “Event Book”, which is actually the last part of the multiple mini-series dealing with most of the X-Men being transported to another reality by X-Man. So…picture AGE OF APOCALYPSE for the 21^st Century. This wraps the whole thing up and, guess what-it pretty much resets everything and leads into HOUSE OF X and Jonathan Hickman’s rebooting of the franchise.

ARCHIE THE MARRIED LIFE 10^TH ANIVERSARY by Michael Uslan and Dan Parent. A decade ago, Archie Comics did something unusual: they created two timelines for Archie and his gang-one where he married Veronica and another where he married Betty; running in LIFE WITH ARCHIE #600-606. This led to a 35 issue LIFE WITH ARCHIE : THE MARRIED LIFE which ended with the death of Archie. Well, ten years later and we revisit what has happened since then. So, you get to short stories running concurrently from different realities. Confused yet? Well, considering Archie DIED at the end of the last run…yeah: I’m really confused!

ARCHIE VS PREDATOR II by Alex DeCampi and Robert Hack. When we last left our teens and their battle against Predator, Archie was dead, as was most of the supporting cast, and he was inhabited by a Predator. So it becomes a road trip with Betty, Veronica and Predator Archie who try to leave Riverdale but end up in a Riverdale here everyone is still alive and going Trick or Treating. What?! Okay Alex: I can’t wait to se what’s next!

AVENGERS: EDGE OF INFINITY #1 by Ralph Macchio and Andrea Di Vito. Talk about a cash grab! Legendary writer Ralph Macchio gives us this non continuity, I hope tale involving Cap, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Black Widow, some Lava Men and M.O.D.O.K. While it looks amazing, it feels like an old 80’s tale. It even feels like something Marvel found in their unused file. Don’t expect anything amazing out of this and certainly don’t expect it to have anything to do with that Thanos guy.

THE AVENGERS: FREE COMIC BOOK DAY EDITION by Jason Aaron, Gerry Duggan, Stefano Caselli and Mike Deodato Jr. This Marvel  FCBD release The first story sets up storylines for future issues of The Avengers, including the upcoming war with Namor and The Squadron Supreme of America. The second tale brings the Savage Avengers characters into the Marvel Universe, complete with bringing in Stick and Elektra. A good lead-in and it’s FREE!

BATMAN THE CURSE OF THE WHITE KNIGHT #1 by Sean Murphy and Matt Hollingsworth. It’s the sequel to Murphy’s huge success of last year, where we saw The Joker as the hero. This time around, Joker is still incarcerated but Batman has a new foil on the rise and his name is soon to be Azrael. It’s not the average Batman book and, because of DC’s new rebranding strategy, it’s a Black Label title now, which means we can use bad words!

BLACK CAT #1 by Jed Mackay, Nao Fuji, Travel Foreman and Mike Dowling. Felicia Hardy is back in business and business means stealing stuff. And that means putting a team together. So…if you like CATWOMAN, you’ll like this. But it takes three tales to give us a glimpse into Felicia’s life and none of them are fantastic. This book just moves along and without much heart to it. Yeah…this is a one and done for me.

DEATH’S HEAD #1 by Tini Howard and Kei Zama. Marvel resurrects this Marvel UK hero/anti-hero and puts a modern spin on it. Throw in Hulking and Wiccan and we should have a cool title. Nope! This just wallows in our hero’s love affair with each other and doesn’t bother to set the stage for who Death’s Head is and all. Basically, if you have no clue, you will still have no clue. Marvel: hat is this about? Planning on pushing a trade paperback to augment the back story you have glossed over? This was a MAJOR disappointment for me!

DCEASED #1 by Tom Taylor, Trevor Hairsine, Stefano Gaudiano and James Harren. What happens when the DC Universe gets infected? You get this, where our heroes become crazed flesh-eating zombies. This is such a strange book, which feels like INJUSTICE meets George Romero’s THE CRAZIES. Not sure how this is going to feel as it goes forward. But for now: it’s dumb fun.

DOOM PATROL; WEIGHT OF THE WORLDS #1 by Gerard Way and Jeremy Lambert. Hot on the heels of their well-received DC Universe show, these strange heroes are back for another round from former My Chemical Romance singer Gerard Way. Prepare to be mind-blown and maybe not in a good way. I had to read it twice and actually felt I needed mind-altering drugs to totally enjoy it. This is a fun read but truly not for everyone.

FANTASTIC FOUR: THE PRODIGAL SUN #1 by Peter David and Francesco Manna. Another Marvel mini-crossover series here. Prodigal is an alien who bears a resemblance to an old New Universe character and comes to our planet and comes out swinging. The Marvel first family ends up in the Savage Land and that means KaZar is here too. In the end, it just leads into another title, this time featuring Silver Surfer. Unfortunately, despite Peter David writing it, I really don’t care for the character, so the chances of reading the Silver Surfer book are slim.

FIVE YEARS #1 by Terry Moore. If you are a fan of Terry Moore’s work over the years, including STRANGERS IN PARADISE, ECHO, RACHEL RISING and MOTOR GIRL, this series is a definite purchase, The world is going to end in five years, as explained in STRANGERS IN PARADISE XXV and now it’s time to see what will happen and how it can (hopefully) be averted. This series ties all of Moore’s previous series together by bringing in characters and storylines. Moore is a tremendous storyteller and this could be the culmination of over 25 years of stories.

FUTURE FOUNDATION #1 by Jeremy Whitley and Will Robson. Now this is what a fun title should be! The rest of hat was the Future Foundation, Alex and Julie Powers, Bentley-23, Dragon Man and others, continue on with their learning, with special guest lecturer Yondu. Julie has just had a break-up with her girlfriend, has flunked out of school and is trying to get her life together. But that’s not happening anytime soon as she gets dragged back into the action and the drama. With guest appearances and snappy dialogue, this is a great read!

GIANT-SIZE X-STATIX #1 by Peter Milligan and Michael “Doc” Allred. That strange superhero team, which I like to think may have been an inspiration for Way’s DOOM PATROL run, is back in this one shot and, as expected, it’s wildly trippy! I’m a fan of Milligan’s writing and truly love Allred’s work going back to his MADMAN days. So, for me, this was an easy add on to my regular titles and I loved it. Allred’s work is quirky, the story is rambling at times but, all in all, I enjoyed the heck out of it and want a regular series again.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAZY ANNUAL #1 by Donny Cates, John McCrea, Tini Howard, Ibraham Moustafa, Zac Thompson and Lonnie Nadler. Three tales highlight this annual. The first follows Nova and the former Quasar. The second tale is about Adam Warlock, who must deal with a society that sees him as a god. The third tale involves Darkhawk and will be followed in GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #7, where he has to deal with the repercussions of being turned into a child.

HISTORY OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE #1 by Mark Waid and Javier Rodriguez. Mark Waid attempts the impossible by trying to cohesively tell the history of the Marvel Universe from it’s ancient origins to present day in a mini-series t and hat many have scoffed at. In this first issue, he touches on the ancient races, Celestials, miscellaneous gods, various races, vampires, demons and even slides briefly into the Wild West and Logan’s origin. Does it succeed? I personally think it’s too early to tell. With the birth of the Modern Day heroes coming next issue, we’ll see just how well he can pull all these pieces together.

HOUSE OF X #1 by Jonathan Hickman and Pepe Larraz. What has been touted as the major retooling of the X-Universe begins here and now with this first part of a weekly 12 issue series that runs along with POWERS OF X. The heroes are back, they are on Karkoa and it looks like Charles Xavier is running the show along with Magneto and some of the key players. But is this really the X-Men? It’s a book that I read twice just to get all the nuances in it and some secrets which I think will be revealed. Is this the big, be-all and end-all that everyone hopes for? We’ll see.

JANE FOSTER VALKYRIE #1 by Jason Aaron, Al Ewing and Cafu. Coming out the events in WAR OF THE REALMS, Valkyrie is dead and Jane Foster is the new Valkyrie. Yeah…THAT Jane Foster. And what she learns is that this isn’t just about being a hero, it’s about having to be someone who comforts those on the other side. THAT is what makes this thing work. I truly expected this to be very lightweight, but was pleasantly surprised.

JUGHEAD TIME POLICE #1 by Sina Grace and Derek Charm. Jughead screws up and is disqualified for life after he accidentally puts fish oil into his cooking entry. So he constructs a time machine to go back and fix things. Well…we all know how time travel leads to problems-just ask the Avengers! Basically, it’s a fun, dumb comic that appeals to me as someone who wasn’t a big Archie fan as a kid. No heavy lifting here: it’s just a fun read without earth shattering consequences.

LOKI #1 by Daniel Kibblesmith and Oscar Bazaldua. The God of Lies has become a hero, coming out of the WAR OF THE REALMS, and now rules Jotunheim. But let’s not forget, he’s still Loki, so we know how that goes. This new series tries yet again to make

Loki a key player in the Marvel Universe.  Unfortunately, like previous efforts, I find it a little too foolish for my taste. It’s a buddy book…sort of.

MARVELS EPILOGUE by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross. Coming on the heels of the release of the anniversary run of MARVELS, we get this: a short little story set during X-MEN #98. Yes, Busiek and Ross have crafted a deal set in those opening ages. And it’s an expensive read for a 16 page story, plus some extras like sketch book pages and an interview with Busiek and Ross, but…c’mon: it’s 16 pages of Alex Ross!

PETER PARKER ANNUAL #1 by Jason Latour, Clayton Cowles, David Lafuente, Phil Lord and Cristopher Miller. Do ya like Funny Animal Comics? Well…you’ll like this. The entire issue is an adventure featuring Peter Porker, Spider Ham. He battles The Ringmaster, crosses paths with animal versions of classic Marvel characters and saves the Universe. If you enjoyed our hero in INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, you’ll love this. If you’re looking for Miles Morales, you’ll be bummed.

POWERS OF X #1 by Jonathan Hickman and R. B. Silva. Here is the other piece of Hickman’s reboot and this is as weird as the HOUSE OF X title. Set in the future, you are going to read this and truly wonder what the heck is going on. I’m sure, like with all of Hickman’s work, there is an endgame coming. And when it does, you’ll go back and re-read all of this and it will make sense. Until then, just go with the ride.

RAGNAROK THE BREAKING OF HELHEIM #1 by Walt Simonson. What some have called the best Thor book on the market is back once again. It’s typical Simonson style and it tells the tale of a Thor who is pissed off and ready to rule. Take that blonde-haired god and that MCU Thor and put them out of your mind. This is truly different Thor and you may find an issue with that. Me-I just think that anytime I can get a Simonson tale, I’m in.

RED SONJA AND VAMPIRELLA MEET BETTY AND VERONICA #1 by Amy Chu and Maria Sanapo. Just when you thought Dynamite couldn’t throw together another team up with their two biggest ladies, they come up with this. Vampi and her best girl pal Red Sonja track down the Cult of Chaos to Riverdale, where they meet some of the fine folks there and try to pass as high school students. We get a cool bunch of cameos, some nice art of a really crazy story. I shouldn’t complain too much as ARCHIE VS. PREDATOR was one of my favorite silly Archie themed tales.

SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITH #1 by Kelly Thompson, Veronica Fish and Andy Fish.  The fascination with the Riverdale gang continues with this new title. Where the Netflix show, which as based on the last Sabrina series, was truly seeped in the occult, this is a lighter take and much more in line with the current ARCHIE story.The tale is light hearted, he art is nice and, right now, it’s the only Sabrina book we have to work with.

SAVAGE AVENGERS #1 by Gerry Duggan and Mike Deodato Jr. What happens when an Avengers mini-series brings Conan from the Hyborean Game to the present? Outside of fans flipping out about it, we get a new Avengers team. We get Conan, Wolverine, Brother Voodoo and the Punisher, some mumbo jumbo, the Savage Land and some great art. Is this for everyone? Probably not, but Deodato’s art makes up for the confusing story.

SECOND COMING #1 by Mark Russell and Richard Pace. DC had tis on their schedule and then scuttled it. So another publisher stepped up and here it is. It’s the tale of Jesus coming to Earth to help a struggling superhero with his trials. Yeah-that’s the basic premise. And if you think this will piss people off, you’re probably right. That having been said, hit this with an open mind and realize Russell has his tongue firmly in his cheek.

SILVER SURFER BLACK #1 by Donny Cates and Tradd Moore. Everyone’s favorite herald of Galactus is back in this mini-series. Coming out of the recent events in Marvel Comics, with Thanos being killed, the Surfer finds himself in a Black Hole fighting for his life. It’s typical Donny Cates, which means it goes into strange places. Moore’s art is very trippy, seemingly channeling Jim Steranko’s best Pop Art pieces of the Sixties. What that means for the hardened comic reader is this is a Surfer tale like you have never experienced before. Aliens, drama, pathos and Knull…remember that nae because it will pop up throughout the year.

SUPERMAN YEAR ONE #1 by Frank Miller and John Romita Jr. Frank Miller has decided to tell his own version of Superman’s origin. It’s a mess. It seems a baby Kal-El was cognizant of everything that went on as a baby, from the destruction of Krypton to his landing in Smallville. He learns of his powers, uses them to defend his friends and always wants to go home. He romances Lana Lang, shows his powers to her and eventually decides to join the Navy. What?! The story is convoluted, the dialogue is weak and the whole concept of changing history, even though it is not considered part of DC continuity, annoys me. On the plus side, this may be some of Romita’s best work in a while. It’s eight bucks, so the trip is your own choice.

SYMBIOTE SPIDER-,MAN #1 by Peter David and Greg Land. Set in the days of the black suit, Spidey faces off against Mysterio, fools around with Felicia Hardy and has no idea how bad the suit is for him. This is a beautiful, fun tale by David and Land that, while set in the past, feels fresh. I went into this with little expectations but, as David and Land knock it out of the park. This is a fun romp that brings back great memories!

THANOS #1 by Tini Howard and Ariel Olivetti. Gamora tells the tale of Thanos in the days when she was a child. Seems Thanos has been killing off his crew members to appease Lady Death and that leads to a meeting with Magus and eventually meeting a young Gamora. I expected this to feel like a big cash grab, but ended up really enjoying it, especially as it brought Magus back into Marvel continuity and into the hands of new readers. The story was fun and the art was amazing. I definitely look forward to the next issue.

VAMPIRELLA: FREE COMIC BOOK DAY EDITION by Christopher Priest, Ergun Gunduz, Kurt Busiek and Arthur Adams. Dynamite again decides tyo reboot the classic character and, as they do with almost every reboot, they change it up. Fans of the classic character won’t like this but…it IS Priest, which means it is going to be filed with lots of twists, turns and red herrings. It’s modern day, Vampirella is a Goth chick and she has a disciple. The back-up is a reprint from the 1993 CREEPY FEARBOOK and is a call back to the days of classic Vampirella and her buddy Pendragon. While the main story leaves more questions than answers, I love what Priest has dropped thus far and looking forward to what’s coming.

VAMPIRELLA #1 by Christopher Priest and Ergun Gunduz. It starts with a plane crash, runs through out favorite vampire lady going to her therapist and touches on whether vampires really exist. Oh yeah: Vampi’s mom Lilith shows up too. This is a true Priest jaunt with his style showing through all over the place. The narrative is weird and slightly disjointed. But that’s Priest’s style and if you’re a fan of his DEATHSTROKE work, you’ll eat this up.

THE WAR OF THE REALMS #1 by Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman. It’s been all leading up to this: Marvel’s next big event, Malkith is on a rampage and all the Realms of the universe are in peril. Leave it to a collection of diverse heroes to take on the challenge. This will lead to multiple spin-off mini-series, new series and a lot of time and money invested by the fans. Before it is done, the Agents of Atlas will reform, Loki and others will get their own series and the universe will be changed…forever, Oh yeah-Loki gets eaten by his father!

THE WAR OF THE REALMS: JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #1 by The McElroys and Andre Lima Araujo. Marvel has a whole bunch of mini-series connected to WAR OF THE REALMS. Probably way too many of them! But this one could be the best of the bunch. A team comprised of Miles Morales, Balder the Brave, Kate Bishop, Deathlok 2.0, Stephen Strange, Thori the dog, and Wonder Man have been charged with caring for Thor’s baby sister. So, tis wild adventures feels like a cross between the greatest buddy film of all time mixed with RAISING ARIZONA. The dialogue is snappy and the action is hilarious. Nothing like watching Doctor Strange try and babysit!

THE WAR OF THE REALMS: NEW AGENTS OF ATLAS #1 by Greg Pak and Gang Hyuk Lim. The War of the Realms is the current Marvel crossover series and, as expected, there are many connecting mini-series. Jimmy Woo has put a new team together along with Ms. Marvel, Silk, Shang-Chi, Amadeus Cho and new heroes White Fox, Crescent and Luna Snow. This isn’t the team I know and love, although it does have a nice collection of under-utilized characters.  

THE WAR OF THE REALMS: THE PUNISHER #1 by Gerry Duggan and Marcelo Ferreira. Here’s another of the WAR OF THE REALMS mini-series. In this issue, The Punisher puts a team together filled with convicts, many of whom have a vendetta against Frank. It’s a nice nod to ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK witch Frank and his team trying to get out of trouble and save some civilians in the process. Filled with Punisher action, mindless violence and monsters. Some fun!

THE WAR OF THE REALMS OMEGA #1 by Jason Aaron, Al Ewing, Daniel Kibblesmith, Gerry Duggan, Juan Ferreyra, Oscar Bazaldua, Cafu and Ron Garney. Don’t expect this to be a wrap-up to the whole mini-series but rather an introduction to new series coming out of it. Outside of the Daredevil piece by Aaron and Garney, which wraps up that storyline, we get lead-ins to JANE FOSTER VALKYRIE, LOKI and PUNISHER KILL KREW. Really Marvel? If I wanted to know how we are getting there, you should have put out three LOW PRICE mini-comics as #0 issues. Just sayin’!

WEB OF VENOM: CULT OF CARNAGE #1 by Frank Tieri and Danilo S, Beyruth. Some tie ago, Crangage took over a small Colorado town. Now it’s up to Misty Knight and John Jameson to figure it all out. This is a great lead-in to the next big event this summer involving Carnage and Venom. The story is fun, while the artwork fits. If you’re a fan of Venom, you need this in the collection.

WEB OF VENOM: FUNERAL PYRE #1 by Cullen Bunn, Joshua Cassara and Alberto Alburquerque. Marvel continues its’ lead-up to AB OSULTE CARNAGE with this one-shot dealing with Andi Benton and her symbiote. If you’re  completist and ant the full story of what will go on in that “Event Series”, then this is for you.

DC UNIVERSE Month 20, Part 2

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #13 by James Tynion IV, Mark Buckingham and Daniel Sampere. The team tries to regroup from the recent end to the Lords of Order, while trying to convince Kent to once again take up the mantle of Doctor Fate. He agrees to stay behind to work with Khalid. Elsewhere, Zatanna meets with John Constantine, who reveals that he was aware of everything coming and that his part was put in play by Zatanna’s father. Meanwhile, Lex meets with Circe and presents an offer.

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK ANNUAL #1 by James Tynion IV, Ram V and Guillem March. Dr. Oleander Sorrel is a scientist who appears to have an origin very similar to that of Alec Holland, complete with being turned into a plant creature. He begins to recreate his family from his memory, which is when Swamp Thing gets involved. Along the lines, Jason Woodrue comes in and tries to convince the Sorrel creature to continue on his mission. Swamp Thing deduces that Sorrel actually didn’t die in an explosion, but actually committed suicide by immersing himself in his plant chemicals. Swamp Thing saves Sorfrel’s wife from the swamp while Woodrue gives in to his hunger and eats Sorrel, transforming him. Circe shows up with a proposition for Woodrue.

JUSTICE LEAGUE ODYSSEY #11 by Dan Abnett and Will Conrad. Lex Luthor wants to make an Offer to Darkseid, but Brainiac insists that Darkseid is out of the game because he is too weak and can’t get better because Brainiac has hidden all the relics needed to achieve Sepulkore. But Darkseid’s Odyssey team has retrieved ten relics and Darkseid himself has retrieved 50.  He tells the tem he is no longer a threat, but if they don’t help him, everything dies. Most of the team turn their back on him, but Cyborg goes to talk with him. Darkseid explains that Victor Stone is truly dead and he ws chosen by Darkseid because he is more machine than anything. Cyborg begins “pinging” and tries to fight against Darkseid. But, in the end, Cyborg has been taken over and attacks Jessica.

LOIS LANE #1 by Greg Rucka and Mike Perkins. Lois is on a quest to find out what happened to a fellow reporter from Russia who has died of an “alleged” suicide. She sends The Question off to get some answers. In the end, Lois gets into a verbal debate with the White House Press Secretary about separating children from their families, which leaves the hite House looking bad.

NAOMI #6 by Brian Michael Bendis, David Walker and Jamal Campbell. Dee gets the alert and heads to see Naomi's parents and  Annabelle.  Meanwhile, Naomi is on her birth world with Zumbado who killed her parents and was responsible for the chaos the planet is in. Zumbado insists that he was friends of her parents and she needs to let her anger out. Realizing Zumbado is the villain here, she battles him. Akira arrives and sends her back home. She promises lots of training and work to be a true superhero.

NIGHTWING #62 by Dan Jurgens and Ronan Cliquet. Ric continues to adjust to his new life and ratchets up his relationship with Bea. In the end, Lex Luthor brings an offer to a new player: Talon.

RED HOOD OUTLAW #36 by Scott Lobdell and Pete Woods. Penguin, who was freed by Bunker, has Jason at gunpoint as Jason swears that he is just a hired hand of Red Hood. Jason’s dog saves the day and Jason explains how Penguin’s European contacts have been cut loose by Red Hood. Bunker arrives, allowing Penguin to escape and says he freed Penguin because he thought Red Hood had gone straight. Bunker leaves as Wingman arrives, with Jason explaining the shot Penguin with a blank, but the blast shattered his monocle and that caused his injury. He turns over the club to Suzie Su as he and Wingman head out, as Jason plans on handling other business on his own. Wingman is revealed to be Willis Todd. In the end, Luthor arrives with an offer to Red Hood.

RED HOOD OUTLAW ANNUAL #3 by Scott Lobdell, Adam Pollina and Pete Woods. What has happened to Bizarro and Artemis is finally revealed. They end up lost in the Multiverse in a place where the superheroes lost their powers and are all dead, while regular people gained all the powers. They meet up with a small band of “good” folks with powers, but Artemis and Jack Knife still manage to get captured. Six months later, Bizarro is ready to free her, even as Artemis and Jack are brought before a powered up Sam Lane, who plans to open the gates of the Multiverse and drop his genetic bomb on all of the worlds, with the help of a mutated Luthor who has reconstructed the Quantum Doorway. Bizarro arrives with the heroes, defeats the villains and delivers a jewel which ill help to reverse the effects of the genetic bomb. Then he and Artemis leave through doorway, which will hopefully bring them back to their earth.

SUPERGIRL #32 by Marc Andreyko and Kevin Maguire. Supergirl, Jon, and Krypto have been being tracked by Gandelo to the Throneworld of the Trillium Collective. Once there, they are attacked by a horde of aliens. Kara gets free and stops the Gandelo, who again tries to flee. And that is when Rogol Zaar arrives and calls for his axe, so he can kill Gandelo, but Supergirl intervenes. Zn’dr arrives and this helps Kara get the axe. Gandelo attacks Zaar who kills her with his bare hands. Kara and Zaar struggle for control of the axe, but Jon and Krypto arrive and Jon uses his sit to teleport them away, but the axe is left behind in Zaar’s control. In the end, Lex Luthor’s craft meets with Brainiac-1 and delivers an offer from Luthor.

SUPERMAN #13 by Brian Michael Bendis, Brandon Peterson and Ivan Reis. It’s the last days of Krypton and Jor-El is having issues with the Science Council not wanting to meet with him. He meets with The Circle, who proceed to tell him he is wrong about Krypton’s impending destruction. A member of The Circle asks Jor’El if he knows who Rogol Zaar is and that leads Jor-El on a search for him, narrowly avoiding a Thangarian assignation attempt. Krypton starts to crumble and he meets again with member of The Circle, who explain it’s too late for Krypton. Back in the present, Superman asks his father why they have come to the remains of Krypton and or-El explains that this is here it all ends. In the end, Luthor's drone goes to Lois Lane’s apartment and presents a mysterious box to her.

SUPERMAN’S PAL JIMMY OLSEN #1 by Matt Fraction and Steve Lieber. In the beginning, we see how one of Jimmy's ancestors got killed over a land dispute. Next we see a conversation between Julian Olsen and Lex Luthor, where it is explained that the Olsen’s had a role in establishing and developing Metropolis. That when Luthor reminds him that Jimmy, something of an Internet celebrity, got turned into a giant turtle while in space and while crashing to Earth, ended up destroying the “Luthor Lion”. Perry White complains about how much Jimmy’s stunts have cost the Planet, but he is the only one making money for The Planet, so Leone agrees to keep him on, but send him far away from Metropolis. So he ends up in a rundown hotel, where he posts a Planet headline showing tat Jimmy Olsen has been murdered.

TEEN TITANS #32 by Adam Glass and Bernard Chang. Crush has been beat bloody by Lobo, but she recovers. That’s a good thing because Lobo is back to complete his mission. Dkinn finally unleashes Crush’ big bad chain, and that takes don Lobo. Djinn uses her powers to change Lobo and, in the end, he is on the moon, where Luthor meets with him and presents him with an offer.

THE TERRIFICS #18 by Gene Luen Yang and Stephem Segovia. The team continues to battle against the avatar of the Noosphere, even as the Noosphere attempts to take over everyone through their electronic devices. Mr. Terrific allows Metamorpho to bond with him and he enters the Noosphere, eventually giving it a T-Sphere to call home. That decision, even though it solves the crisis, leads to a war of words and opinions between Mr. Terrific and Ms. Terrific. In the end, Luthor has an offer for Bizarro of Earth-29.

WONDER TWINS #6 by Mark Russell and Stephen Byrne. The heroes of Earth have 30 days to stop the Scrambler from taking control of everyone on Earth. It seems like an impossible task and, at the end of the 30 days, the countries of the world decide to come together for the betterment of mankind. But just before it is scheduled to go down, the Justice League busts the Scrambler and Polly, who were discovered by Zan who became a water droplet and literally made his way through every house in the city. Zayna insists that Polly is her friend, leading Polly to deny it. Scambler ends up in prison, but he still may be able to activate his Scramble through electronic mail.

WONDER WOMAN #74 by G. Willow Wilson, Jesus Merino and Xermanico. Wonder Woman and company fight a fake Hippolyta and, during the process they fall off a cliff, only to be rescued by Antiope. We learn that when Ares died and Themyscira was torn apart, General Antiope and Philippus led the survivors to Dimension Chi. But Grail is also there and has captured Hippolyta.  and imprisoning her in the process. Now they band together to free the Amazons.

WONDER WOMAN #75 by G. Willow Wilson, Xermanico, Jesus Merino and Vicente Cifuentes. Wonder Woman gets reunited with most of her Amazon sisters who have not joined Grail. That leads to a massive battle between both sides with Grail fleeing and threatening to kill Isadore. Just as she is about to strike, Nubia changes sides and defeats Grail. In the end, mother and daughter reunite while Luthor’s craft meets with Cheetah with an offer.

YOUNG JUSTICE #7 by Brian Michael Bendis, John Timms, Dan Hipp and David Lafuente. The team has been bounced into The Multiverse where they first land in a strange cartoon world populated by childlike versions of the Justice League. They next go to Earth-26, where they meet up with Captain Carrot and his Zoo Crew. Then they are transported to Earth-22 where they meet with the heroes of KINGDOM COME. After joining together to battle and defeat the Sons of the Bat, Dr. Fate sends them home. Only problem: he thinks he sent them to the wrong Earth.

DC UNIVERSE, Month 20, Part 1

ACTION COMICS #1013 by Brian  Michael Bendis and Syzmon Kudrankski. Leone gets visited by Lex Luthor with an offer, leading to her engaging in a full house protocol, resulting in her house disappearing. Meanwhile, Goode tells Perry White the story of how Rose met with Leviathan and refused their offer. Superman arrives and confronts the Leviathan minion, who realizes that he is wired to explode, and does so transporting Superman to India. While relating the story, Goode begins to change into her alter ego. In the end, Luthor arrives to meet with Red Cloud and has an offer for her.

ADVENTURES OF THE SUPER SONS #12 by Peter J. Tomasi and Carlos Barberi. Rex has his ultimate weapon and Jon and Damian are trapped inside of it. They meet with the being inhabiting it, known as The Place, who reveals it was influenced by heroes and villains of the Multiverse. Puppeteer arrives inside and together, with the help of The Pace, they break free and attack Luthor. Using their connection and energy, they turn the cube on Luthor and defeat him. They make their way back home, only to find out this adventure ahs lasted all throughout their summer. In the end, and in the future, the older heroes proceed to tell another tale of their past.

AQUAMAN #50 by Kelly Sue DaConnick and Robson Rocha. Aquaman returns to Amnesty Bay with the refugee gods. Wonder Woman also arrives, as the whole town is delighted to see him return. She asks what is going on with Mera and child, leading Aquaman to explain how their relationship is complicated. Deciding it’s not a good idea to have the gods remain in Amnesty Bay, the thought is to have them move to an old lighthouse, where a legendary catain lived, wrote and went mad. Aquaman gets a call from someone he doesn’t know who has been arrested-Jackson Hyde. In Atlantis, Vulko explains that Aquaman has returned to Amnesty Bay and asks if she plans on seeing him. Vulko explains that the citizens and Council is concerned about her pregnancy and the only way to settle the line of succession is through marriage or war. Mera reveals that her plan is to marry…Vulko. In the end, Luthor finds Black Manta and makes him an offer.

BATGIRL #36 by Mairghread Scott and Paul Pelletier. Batgirl continues to battle the Terrible Trio as the building burns around them. Fox turns on his partners, knocking out one and leaving a gravely injured Shark behind as he flees. Batgirl tries to help Shark, who sacrifices himself to save her. Barbara finally gets to meet with Alysia, who explains to her that her company has been subject to a hostile takeover. Jason shows up and offers to help her pack her personal belongings, but she goes it alone and moves to her new apartment in The Narrows.

BATGIRL #37 by Cecil Castelucci and Carmine DiGiandomenico. The reformed Terrible Trio, with a new guy playing Shark, make their way into an apparent laboratory/stronghold in the Blue Ridge Mountains where they encounter a being seeking a password. After numerus attempts, the Trio flees, leading to Luthor arriving and offering the being a name. That name is Oracle. Elsewhere, Izzy takes Bard to a concert where they run into her friend Bea(from NIGHTWING). Meanwhile, Batgirl fights with Killer Moth

BATMAN #74 by Tom King and Mikel Janin. Batman and Flashpoint Batman continue their desert trek, Finally arriving at a Lazarus Pit. The pair begin to brawl and Batman reveals that he buried his mother in the desert while Flashpoint Batman slept. Batman is defeated and left in the pit, while his “father” leaves. In the end, we see a single had emerging from the pit.

BATMAN #75 by Tom King and Tony S. Daniel. Om a time described as “later”, Joker and The Riddler are investigating a murder, working for Commissioner Strange. Batman arrives on the scene and we learn it’s the Flashpoint Batman, who has taken over the Batcave and is now served by his butler, The Ventriloquist. At a secret hideout where Two Face is holed up, Batman arrives with Gotham Girl, where they take down the villains and Batman throws a batarang into Harvey’s right eye. He explains to Strange that he hasn’t killed Two-Face, just destroyed the Harvey side of him. Two Face is taken into captivity and is greeted by the Psycho Pirate, who apparently has managed to change this future with is powers. Elsewhere, Bruce makes his way to the mountain where he was trained, only to find that most of the monks are dead. He is beaten and left in the snow, which leads to a reunion with Catwoman. In the end, Luthor’s plan continues, as an offer is made to Bane.

BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #3 by Bryan Hill and Dexter Soy. Sofia is trapped inside a “dragon” by Ra’s Al Ghul, who tells her she must fight and kill Ishmael if she wants to become the person she needs to be. Elsewhere, the rest of the Outsiders battle a mysterious figure who turns out to be Batman in disguise, testing them and, more specifically, testing Black Lightning. In the end, we see that Luthor have previously shower up, met with Ra’s and gave him an offer.

BATMAN BEYOND #34 by Dan Jurgens and Rick Leonardi.  Bruce Wayne is finally free of False face’ clutches and Batman is back fighting crime, but with a harder edge. Later, Batman returns to the cave and tells Bruce he will fight crime his way. He goes after Splitt, but then offers them a deal: join together and rule. That’s when Bruce and the others realize that Batman is really False Face. Elsewhere, Terry wakes up after a violent robbery at a restaurant, holding a gun. And he wonders who he actually is.

THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #7 by Scott Snyder and Jock. Batman and the Batman Who Laughs face off, with Batman slowly becoming poisoned and Batman Who Laughs revealing that he plans to kill himself so his protégé can take over for him. But Batman has tinkered with Batman Who Laughs tech and this leads to a violent confrontation with Batman gaining the upper hand, but not alone, as the Joker arrives to put the final touches on the victory. Meanwhile, the Grim Knight continues to taunt James Gordon, encouraging to kill his father while he remains helpless to protect the water supply. Gordon is left with two choices: kill his son or drink from the contaminated water. But James ends up being the hero in the end and saves his father, although it seems that the Gordon may have been infected by the water.

CATWOMAN #13 by Joelle Jones and Fernando Blanco. Carlos gets beat up by Detective Yilmaz and ends up in the clutches of the Creels, where his nosebleed drips onto the artifact and activates it, momentarily producing a world map that quickly disappears. Catwoman arrives and beats everyone up, freeing Carlos and his mother, but it struck down by a knife wound caused by Creel’s reanimated son. Later, Raymond Creel visits his mother, who slicks his throat open so she can use him as a blood sacrifice and again gain control of the map. In the end, Luthor shows up at Catwoman’s apartment with an offer.

DEATHSTROKE #45 by Christopher priest and Fernando Pasarin. Rose is trying to complete her father’s final contract, but it seems Shado has the same idea. During their battle, Rose learns that Shado’s daughter was responsible for Slade’s death. Joe shows up and claims that he actually was responsible for Slade’s death, leading to a fight between the pair. Rose takes Joe out and then heads off to take out Red Arrow. In the end, Luthor shows up with an offer for Joe

DETECTIVE COMICS #1007 by Peter J. Tomasi and Kyle Hotz. The Cult of the Divine Hand has taken Jim Corrigan and they are preparing to sacrifice him. In the Batcave, Bruce is trying to put his skills to use regarding the crime scene while The Spectre gives him his backstory. Bruce agrees to let Spectre help in finding Corrigan provided he doesn’t kill anyone. They find the criminal Bruce beat up previousy and, after being terrorized by The Spectre, they get the intel they need, finding Corrigan in a church and ork together to free him, at the cost of the church and some cultist lives.

DETECTIVE COMICS #1008 by Peter J. Tomasi and Doug Mahnke. The Joker is loose and is inviting Gothamites to a local amusement park to have fun and die together. Everyone at the park has been equipped with a clown-faced device around their necks that will releases chemicals Jokerize them. When Batman shows up, Joker takes him on a tour of the park, including riding a bunch of rides together. Batman deduces the control for the gas devices is in a fortune telling machine and he breaks it, but allows the Joker to get away in the process. In the end, Luthor visits Victor Fries and makes him an offer to restore his wife.

DIAL H FOR HERO #5 by Sam Humphries and Joe Quinones. Miguel has ben captured by Mister Thunderbolt who leads him on a chase through the Heroverse until The Operator shows up to save him. The Operator shows him of his origin as Robby Reed and how he decided to use his life to visit other Multiverse locations, eventually taking him to The Bleed and the Speed Force wall. He eventually ended up at the Pantheon of the Gods and, after a series of trials, was granted access to the Heroverse. He gets Miguel to tell his origin, how his parents died in a pane crash that Superman couldn’t get to in time to stop from happening. Mister Thunderbolt, now with the power of the dial, manages to broadcast to everyone with a phone and convinces them to Dial H for Hero. Elsewhere, Summer uses a Supermobile to crash land in Metropolis just as everyone dials H.

EVENT LEVIATHAN #2 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. Red Hood is in Seattle investigating the attacks on Batgirl and Green Arrow when Batman arrives. He tells how a Levathan operative showed up to take out Sam Lane, but The Question was there keeping watch. Lane shoots the operative and then shoots at The Question, forcing him to leave. The Question took the body of the operative, who it is revealed was a former A.R.G.U.S. agent. Plastic Man makes his way into the morgue to investigate the operative when Leviathan shows up and makes an offer, before taking the body away with him. With that, Batman and his team head off to further the investigation.

THE FLASH #74 by Joshua Williamson and Howard Porter. Barry, who is on a date with Iris, finds himself face to face with Future Turtle, who has Future Flash chained up. Iris leaves to investigate and Barry changes into The Flash to face off with Turtle. Although Turtle is doing well to hold Barry at bay, he gets free long enough to free Future Flash. Future Flash reveals he is dying. Turtle needs to drain Barry’s Speed Force to construct a shell that will allow him to merge present and future time. With Iris captured by Turtle’s men, Barry completes his Flash ring and goes after Turtle, who has brought this time’s Turtle to him with upgraded tech.

THE FLASH #75 by Joshua Williamson and Howard Porter. Central City’ citizens are chained up by the Still Force and Iris smashes one of Turtle’s computers, freeing them. Future Turtle sends his past self off to handle Iris while he continues his fight with Barry, who is being hampered by the Still Force. He sees how strong Iris is fighting and uses the Speed Force to gain momentum in the fight, taking everyone a few seconds into the future and severing Turtle’s connection and causing Future Turtle and Future Flash to disappear. Iris comforts a defeated Turtle while Barry, in his plain clothes, tells her the whole battle is over.  Later, we find that February 1th is Flash Day when Iris shows up and introduces her two nephews. Barry makes a connection with Wally and, from outside, we see lightning strike. In the present, Barry meets Steadfast, the new avatar of the Still Force. Barry is helping to rebuild the Flash Museum. In the end, Lex Luthor meets with Captain Cold, who accepts Lex’ offer.

THE GREEN LANTERN #9 by Grant Morrison and Liam Sharp. In deep space, Marvel Maid, Logi, Quisto and others are wiped out. Hal goes to Planet Athmoora, where he meets with the citizens and learns of the attack and helps them battle Ah-Bah-Nazzur, who is really Abin Sur from an alternate universe. In the end, alternate versions of Green Lantern, Batman and some strange hippie guy arrive, representing the Guardians of the Universe.

GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL #1 by Grant Morrison and Giuseppe Camuncoli. Hal wakes up in a bathtub, having been part of a reunion party the night before. All of the adults are asleep but the kids are fine and they have all been trapped in the house by an alien named Zzyptzz, who live off the energy we use our wi-fi with. His people are mad at humans for using all the Wi-Fi and, despite saying he needs help, he is actually looking to defeat the human race and take back their wi-fi. Hal fights back but his ring quits on him, leading to Air Wave arriving and saving everyone…for now.

HARLEY QUINN #63 by Sam Humphries and Otto Schmidt. Harley’s mom is dying and she is bummed about it. She goes to an old video store, where she is greeted by Comet Witch, ho actually turns out to be Death, who says he will see her soon. Back with her mother, she finds she has slipped into a coma and decides to read to her from a HARLEY QUINN comic, which is a YEAR OF THE VILLAIN issue. In it, Luthor shows up and has an offer for her.

HAWKMAN #14 by Robert Venditti and Pat Olliffe. Carter Hall is having issues with being filled with so many memories. He goes to a quiet spot in Kenya, but gets attacked by Shadow Thief. Who uses his improved powers to steal Hawkman’s shadow. In the end, we discover that Shadow Thief has new powers courtesy of…Lex Luthor.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #27 by James Tynion IV and Javier Fernandez. Martian Manhunter has been captured by a mechanical Lionel Luthor, who is the making of Professor Ivo, who sends Amazo to retrieve Manhunter and put him back in a prison. It turns out that Ivo was approached by Luthor to fix Brainiac and now he is prepared to remove what Luthor called the Apex Predator from J’onn. Hawkgirl shows up and frees him. J’onn destroys all of Ivo’s constructs and then discovers that Luthor’s ship is watching, leading to Luthor making an offer. Meanwhile, Mar Novu has joined the rest of the League and they go off looking for the Anti-Monitor of Qward.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #28 by James Tynion IV and Javi Fernandez. Jonn and Kendra fly to the Midwest to meet up with Luthor. Luthor makes J’onn put Kendra to sleep so they can talk like old friends. Lex explains how he has made a worldwide offer and he wants J’onn to join him. He then proceeds to drain J’onn, giving himself a huge upgrade. Meanwhile, the rest of the Justice League is in the Antimatter Universe looking for the Anti-Monitor, but he is gone, leaving behind a message and a bunch of dead Weaponeers. And Starman sees the end of everything, which concerns Jarro and Shayne.