SDCC 2015: Rounding Up All the News and Announcements

I greet each and every July with equal parts excitement and sorrow.  July is home to Comic Con International, a massive comic book and entertainment media convention held annually in San Diego.  The event has grown to gargantuan proportions since the first, one-day dry run in 1970.  Tickets sell out months in advance and hotels are booked to capacity.  Thus my sorrow.  Every year produces a cornucopia of news and announcements to get genre fans jazzed for the following year.  This year was no different.

The biggest thing coming out of Hall H (the main theatre at SDCC) was undoubtedly the debut of the new Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer.

For someone who prides himself on skills of oratory nature and use of the written word, I am left speechless.  Granted, I am biased (DC over Marvel and Batman over, well, everything), but this trailer was simply amazing.  Since the film was announced, I’ve said that the “versus” part of this title will only last 30 minutes of the movie (maybe the entire first act), before the eventual team-up to take on the true villain.  After this trailer, however, I’m backpedaling ever so slightly on that claim.  The team-up is still inevitable, but I’m thinking our heroes will be at odds for longer than it takes for you to finish that popcorn and $15 Coke.  Either way, I can’t wait until March 25th of next year.

Supplemental information on Ben Affleck’s future as Batman is making its rounds on the rumor mill.  We know he will appear in Suicide Squad (a film that saw a trailer debut as well) in at least a cameo, but the new tidbit to speculate on is that Ben is co-writing alongside DC Comics writer Geoff Johns (Justice League, Green Lantern, Batman: Earth One) and will direct a solo Batman film with a targeted release of 2018.  If true, this has the potential to be the greatest Batman film thus far.  Geoff Johns would not be my first choice to co-write a Batman script, but Affleck’s writing is solid; look no further than Good Will Hunting and The Town.  The idea that he will direct the movie has me more excited than anything.  2012’s Argo, Ben’s most successful movie to date, garnered (no pun!) the filmmaker Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and Academy Awards in the Best Director and Best Picture categories.  I hope there’s truth to this rumor.
 

"Desert Batman" promo image released earlier today

From the comic book realm, both of the Big Two (DC and Marvel) made big announcements concerning their publishing lines for the upcoming months.  The biggest of which (in my book) was the reveal of a new series and a crossover event.

Batman & Robin Eternal, a sequel to last year’s Batman Eternal, will be a weekly series set to launch in October and run for six months.  The series looks to highlight all of Batman’s current (and some past) sidekicks.  October will also play host to a crossover event titled Robin War.  A five-issue event, the story will run through Robin: Son of Batman, Gotham Academy, We Are Robin, with two Robin War issues book-ending the event.  No details were available other than that, so I don’t know the premise of the event.  What I do know is that these two events are in celebration of The Boy Wonder’s 75th Anniversary which takes place this year (Robin first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in 1940).
 

The Evolution of Robin through the ages

Over on the television side, AMC revealed trailers for both Season Six of The Walking Dead and the debut season of Fear The Walking Dead.

Also shown in Hall H was the trailer for Heroes Reborn, the revival of the popular superhero show that ran from 2006-2010.

DC Comics’ shows on The CW had a great showing at the convention as well.  The Flash confirmed the debut of Jay Garrick (to be played by Teddy Sears) for Season 2 and revealed its central villain in Zoom.  Arrow welcomes the casting of Neal McDonough (who plays Dum Dum Duggan in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) as Damien Darhk.  Perhaps the coolest thing, though, was Stephen Amell taking the stage in Hall H to reveal Oliver Queen’s new costume and the fact that he referred to himself as the Green Arrow.

 

Green Arrow's Season Four costume

Back in the comic world, Marvel announced a crossover event for their Star Wars and Darth Vader books titled Vader Down.  The story, co-written by Jason Aaron and Kieron Gillen with art by Mike Deodato and Salvador Larroca, will feature the Dark Lord of the Sith being trapped behind enemy lines, leading to a showdown between Vader and the Rebel Alliance.
 

Cover art for "Vader Down"

Part of its initial slate, Marvel’s Star Wars line featured a Princess Leia limited series.  This was followed by a limited-series starring Lando Calrissian (simply titled Lando).  Marvel will follow this trend of launching a new limited-series when the other ends.  Chewbacca, written by Gerry Duggan and drawn by the incomparable Phil Noto, launches in October.
 

Chewbacca #1 variant cover by Phil Noto

One of the seminal works featuring Batman is Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns.  It has influenced the character in some way, shape, or form since its debut in 1986.  Miller, who was inducted into the prestigious Will Eisner Hall of Fame this past weekend, will finalize his trilogy with The Dark Knight III: The Master Race.  Co-written with Brian Azzarello with art by Andy Kubert and long-time Miller collaborator Klaus Janson, the edgy-titled series will have eight-issues, with no release date announced other than "Fall 2015".

Back in November, I got the opportunity to meet the iconic artist and legend that is Neal Adams.  When I asked Neal what he was working on at the time, all he would tell me is that he was working on a New Gods (a near-omnipotent race of legitimate gods in the DC Universe) book.  Over the weekend, the series, Coming of the Supermen, was announced.  Essentially billed as “Superman vs. the New Gods”, the series launches in October.  It will be joined by several other Superman related series- Superman: American Alien, a telling of Clark Kent’s formative years; Superman: Lois & Clark, an alternate Earth story spinning out of the pages of Convergence; also coming out of that event will be Telos and Titans Hunt, a series uniting the original Teen Titans.

Lighting round:

• Grant Morrison will return to the Bat-world with Batman: Black & White, a multi-issue series and a list of “superstar artists” attached.  It was also announced that Grant will pen several original graphic novels serving as sequels to his alternate Earth-spanning series, Multiversity.  These books will each have subtitles, but will have the umbrella title: Multiversity Too.
• DC Universe Animated Original Movies will release an adaptation of the classic Batman story The Killing Joke in 2016.  So excited for that.  Also, two new animated series were announced: Batman: Bad Blood and Justice League vs. Titans.  No other details on the series were available.
• Barnes & Noble announced plans to double their comic and graphic novel section in each of their stores across the country.  I’ll always encourage the purchase of books in a local comic shop to help support retailers, but the more available products are to consumers, the better.
• The CW will expand their comic book television shows to include a live-action Archie show.  If the series takes cues from the recently released Archie comic by Mark Waid and Fiona Staples, it’ll be astounding.
• Batman meets The Avengers (no, not those Avengers).  A crossover in the Batman ’66 comic featuring the British agents of the same decade.
• The previously announced Green Lantern film slated for 2020 has been revealed to be a Green Lantern Corps film.  That will be cool.
• Continuing the Earth One graphic novels (so far there have been three volumes of Superman, two of Batman, and one Teen Titans), two more OGNs were announced:  Aquaman: Earth One (by J. Michael Straczynski) and The Flash: Earth One (by Francis Manapul).  The Earth One original graphic novels serve as alternate origin stories for these characters.
• IDW Comics announced an “Academy” comic book series to accompany their current Star Trek line.  This new series will feature Kirk, Spock, and Uhura during their Starfleet Academy years on Earth with “familiar faces” appearing throughout.
• While Marvel Studios took this year off, 20th Century Fox did not.  The “final” trailer for August’s Fantastic Four was shown alongside debut trailers for X-Men: Apocalypse and Deadpool.

I didn’t cover even close to all of the news and announcements out of San Diego this past weekend, but the highlights are here.  I have to say that I am overly excited for the things to come later this year and into 2016 (and ’17 and ’18 and…)

Thanks for reading!

-Josh

Sources: Comic Book Resources; Wikipedia; Newsarama

All characters, and images in this blog are owned and trademarked by DC Comics, a division of Warner Bros., Marvel Comics, a division of The Walt Disney Corporation, and NBC Universal, a division of the Comcast Corporation.

All-New, All-Different: A Look at the New Marvel Universe

When the dust settles following the end of Secret Wars, Marvel Comics will re-launch their entire publishing line.  Earlier this week, Marvel officially announced 45 titles launching this October with creative teams and taglines for each series accompanying cover art for each new #1 issue.

All-New, All-Different Marvel Promo Image

Much like DC’s New 52 re-launch and the “DC You” re-launch that I’ve chronicled the last four weeks, the “All-New, All Different Marvel” initiative looks to create a clean jumping-on point for new and returning readers to Marvel books.

The second All-New, All-Different Marvel promotional image

As predominantly a DC reader, this is a great opportunity for me to begin a journey into the Marvel Universe.  Let’s take a look at some of the books launching this October.

Invincible Iron Man #1 - “Upgrade.”

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis, Artist: David Marquez

The premier Marvel writer for the last 15 or so years will give us his take on the premier character of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).  It’s clear that the company wants to elevate the status of Ol’ Shellhead to headliner of their comic line.  Take a look at his placement in the teaser images above.

The Totally Awesome Hulk #1- “Who is the Hulk?”

Written by Greg Pak and drawn by Frank Cho.  As the tagline states, this Hulk is not Bruce Banner.  So, who is?

Doctor Strange #1- “Some surgery requires a scalpel – some, an axe.”

Written by Jason Aaron and drawn by Chris Bachalo.  When Benedict Cumberbatch was announced to play The Sorcerer Supreme in an upcoming film, it was only a matter of time before a new solo series was announced.  I’d say the character is in good hands with writer Jason Aaron.

Star-Lord #1- “Feels like the first time. Feels like the very first time.”

Writer: Sam Humphries, Artist: Javier Garron

Foreigner lyrics in the tagline.  He’s Star-Lord, man.  Can’t go wrong?

Daredevil #1- “The devil’s apprentice”

Writer: Charles Soule Artist: Ron Garney

Never mind the fact that Daredevil’s Netflix series is a critical and financial success, The Man Without Fear is one of Marvel’s most enduring characters, so it’s only natural that he would receive a new series.  The tagline suggests that Daredevil will receive a sidekick.  Even though the writer is denying it (or simply playing coy), he sure looks a lot like Gambit…

All-New Hawkeye #1- “Hawkeye vs. Hawkeye”

Written by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Ramon Perez.  Lemire just launched the last volume of All-New Hawkeye back in March and the series never really got a chance to get off the ground.  It appears that Kate Bishop seems to be in the lead role and will be taking on the older Clint Barton from the “Old Man Logan” universe.

Guardians of the Galaxy #1- “The raccoon’s in charge.”

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis, Artist Valerio Schiti

If the series can capture the fun and exuberance of the film in this volume a little better than it did in the last volume, it will remain on my reading list.  Also, Star-Lord is now Star-Lady?  With Peter Quill on his own adventures, most signs point to Kitty Pryde (who guest starred heavily in the last volume of GoTG) taking on the role.  If that’s the case, I can guarantee I’ll keep reading as Kitty is my favorite X-Person of all time, and one of my favorite Marvel characters in general.

All-New X-Men- “On a mission to make their own future”

Writer: Dennis Hopeless, Artist: Mark Bagley

The youthful versions of Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, and Angel (we’ll get to young Jean Grey later on) are joined by X-23, who is the new Wolverine.  I’m glad to see the time displaced X-Men remaining in the contemporary Marvel Universe.  Having new Wolverine on board (and continuing her relationship with Angel?) is a good bonus.

Amazing Spider-Man #1- “Your friendly neighborhood just got bigger.”

Writer: Dan Slott, Artist: Giuseppe Camuncoli (this teaser is done by Alex Ross)

Dan Slott remains on the title to continue spinning the web (get it!?) he started way back in 2008.  With Peter Parker going global and Parker Industries becoming a technology powerhouse, we’re going to see an interesting take on this character.  “Philanthropist Spidey” has a certain ring to it.  The new costume doesn’t look bad, either.

Sam Wilson, Captain America #1- “Who do you stand with?”

Writer: Nick Spencer, Artist: Daniel Acuña

I have to say that I was disheartened to see that Steve Rogers won’t be picking the shield back up this fall.  At least not yet.  I haven’t particularly liked Falcon-Cap, but I do plan on reading #1.  The tagline evokes memories of Civil War.  Perhaps this story will work as a prep for next year’s Captain America: Civil War film.

The Vision #1- “A bold new Vision for the Marvel Universe.”

Writer: Tom King, Artist: Gabriel H. Walta

The breakout character of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Vision will star in his own solo series this fall.  I like Tom King’s writing and I truly hope this series is a success.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1- “Keeps your friends close and your enemies closer.”

ABC’s hit television series influenced the launch of this series, there’s no doubt.  The cover features Agent Coulson, but one has to wonder if the rest of the gang from the show will star as well.  (Keeping my fingers crossed for Skye.)

All-New Wolverine #1- “Best there is at what she does”

Writer: Tom Taylor, Artist: David Lopez

As previously mentioned, X-23 will be taking over the role of Wolverine.  With the real deal still dead (I guess, whatever), the void has to be filled.  I’ve always liked X-23 as a character.  More so than the real Wolverine, anyway.

Extraordinary X-Men #1- “Still hated. Still feared. Still standing.”

Writer: Jeff Lemire, Artist: Humberto Ramos

Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Iceman, Magik, Jean Grey (the time displaced version, not the dead one), and… Old Man Logan.  I’m actually pretty excited to read this book.  In Lemire I trust.  Let’s keep the old Wolverine-young Jean pervy stuff to a minimum, eh Jeff? 

Silk #1- “The Sinister Silk”

Writer: Robbie Thompson, Artist: Stacey Lee

Silk is the most interesting character introduced in the Marvel Universe since…  I don’t even know.  The tagline teases a turn to the dark side for Cindy Moon.

Ant-Man #1- “Once a criminal…?”

Written by Nick Spencer and drawn by Ramon Rosanas.  Another MCU-influenced book and another book teasing a villainous turn.  Marvel has always had some anti-heroes in their books.  I’m willing to bet Ant-Man will be more in that vein than an out-and-out bad guy.

Uncanny Inhumans #1- “The silence is broken.”

Written by Charles Soule and drawn by Steve McNiven.  There’s two simple reasons why I’m even going to try to read this book:  the creative team and Beast.  Steve McNiven’s art is amazing and I love the character of Hank McCoy.  I really hope this book is good.

Old Man Logan #1- “Older. Wiser. Sharper.”

Writer: Jeff Lemire, Artist: Andrea Sorrentino

The original Old Man Logan story is fantastic.  Having Old Man Logan in the present day Marvel Universe?  I don’t know.  Jeff Lemire is writing this and the character’s other appearance in Extraordinary X-Men, so at least his characterization will be consistent.

Spider-Man #1- “Welcome to the Marvel Universe, Miles Morales. Hope you survive the experience!”

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis, Artist: Sara Pichelli

Marvel’s now defunct Ultimate Universe was designed as a retelling of the origins of Marvel’s characters.  When that universe’s Peter Parker died, he was replaced as Spider-Man by Miles Morales.  I tried reading the first series starring the new hero, but it just did not hook me in anyway.  Now that the Ultimate Universe is gone thanks to Secret Wars, Miles finds his home in the main Marvel Universe.  I’ll give it a shot, but my Spider-Man is red and blue.  No offense, Miles.

All-New All-Different Avengers #1- “Earth’s mightiest most dedicated heroes.”

Writer: Mark Waid, Artist: Adam Kubert, Cover Art: Alex Ross

An Avengers book I actually want to read.  A diverse team.  A brilliant writer and an excellent artist.  The flagship book of the new Marvel Universe looks perfect on paper.  Which is good, because that’s what comic books are printed on.

Looking forward to October!

Thanks for reading!

-Josh

Sources: Comic Book Resources; Wikipedia; marvel.com

All characters, and images in this blog are owned and trademarked by Marvel Comics, a division of The Walt Disney Corporation.

DC You, Part Four

Week Four of the breakout month of DC You is here and, pains me as it does to say this, DC did not save the best for last.  With all four weeks down, let’s look at the statistics for a second:

21 new #1 issues were released in June.  24 books released were a continuation from pre-Convergence.  That’s a total of 45 books this month.  I read all but four of the #1 issues and five of the continued series’ that saw release this month (there are three more #1’s coming, Cyborg in July and two supernatural series in October, and Justice League United will return with issue #11 in July), coming to a grand total of 36 books.

So, having read 80% of DC’s output in June, I can honestly say, that my top five this month would look something like this:

5.) Constantine: The Hellblazer

4.) Action Comics

3.) Batgirl

2.) Justice League of America

1.) Tie: Batman and Justice League (it’s my blog, I make the rules)

On to the reviews for this week:

The Flash #41

Fans of CW’s The Flash would likely not be too lost picking this book up off the shelf.  I’ve not been reading this series since the launch of The New 52 back in September 2011, but the move to having comic series’ more streamlined with  their television counterparts is something DC seems to be doing more and more, and Flash is no different.  Henry Allen being in jail, a speedster in yellow being responsible, it’s all there.  Much like Green Arrow the comic is to Arrow the television series, The Flash is like its small screen adaptation to a point.  It’s still very comic book-y in nature, which is always a good think.  As stated, The Flash is not something I read on a regular basis, and this issue was not enough to hook me to come back for #42 in July.

Gotham by Midnight #6

You like procedural cop shows?  You like supernatural stories?  You’d probably like this series.  In addition to having maybe the coolest (silver medal, anyway) cover this week, Gotham by Midnight also leads the pack in demonic possession stories.  First launching last fall, the series captured my attention with its premise: a group of cops in Gotham City dedicated to supernatural and unexplained crimes in the city.  Sorta like The X-Files.  I struggled through the first five issues, but after reading #6 for the sole reason of reviewing it and thinking I would drop the book after, I’ve found a renewed interest.  The artist has changed, which was the biggest factor in why I thought this was as good as I do.  I love diversity, including diversity in art styles.  For example, I love ice cream.  Vanilla, cookies and crème, even sherbet.  I would not, however, like sardine ice cream.  The change from issue #5 to issue #6 was exactly like going from sardine ice cream to cookies and crème.  Night and friggn’ day.  Looking forward to #7 next month.

Teen Titans #9

Like The Flash, Teen Titans is not a book I read on the regular.  Knowing that this would be the only place to get my Tim Drake fix (that’s the third Robin, currently Red Robin, for those of you keeping track), I thought I’d give it another try.  Teen Titans is a book that I’ve tried to like for a long time.  Their last series, which ended in 2014, had a creative team that I just simply couldn’t get behind.  I was a little confused not having read issues #1-8, but I caught on quick.  Essentially, Superboy is wanted for mass murder of an alien race and the Titans have been split into two teams, one on Superboy’s side, the other looking to hunt him down.  This issue was good enough to make me want to read at least this story arc to its conclusion. 

We Are Robin #1

The only new #1 I’ll be reviewing (I did read Justice League 3001, but it was… Not good) this week.  The idea of this book is so intriguing.  Teens see that Gotham needs help and, rather that attempting to “become Batman”, they become almost a “legion of sidekicks”.  NOTE: While these kiddos are wearing the red, yellow, and green and have ‘R’s on their clothes, they are not actual Robins.  That honor is still held by Damian Wayne.  The first issue focuses on the team recruiting Duke Thomas, a Gotham City resident who has been seen over in Snyder and Capullo’s Batman book for quite some time (first appearing in Batman #21 almost two years ago).  Duke’s parents have been missing since the Joker’s rampage in "Endgame" (Batman #35-40), so true to Robin form, Duke is essentially an orphan.  This book is something I’ve looked forward to since it was announced.  The opening did not disappoint.  Looking forward to #2.

Superman #41

Rather than continuing the “Truth” storyline as the Superman books have for the last three weeks, Superman throws the story back to “Before Truth”.  Detailing the time leading to the Man of Steel’s identity being revealed, this story focuses mainly on Clark Kent at the Daily Planet and dealing with the mystery of someone knowing his secret identity and using it to blackmail him.  This was a good read, but it definitely felt like set up for the rest of the arc.  Which is not a bad thing, it’s just that we already known that it’s Lois Lane that reveals Superman’s secret identity.  It’s been mentioned a number of times, including in this cool piece of promotional material that was released alongside this week’s comics.

I know that DC is looking to have their titles be a little more divorced from one another, but a little uniformity in the Superman books (since they’ve been billed as a continuous story) would be nice.  Nevertheless, I’ll still be picking up #42 in July.

Grayson #9

Ever since Nightwing was unmasked and declared dead in Forever Evil, Dick Grayson, the original Robin, has been working undercover helping Batman take down the international agency known as Spyral.  This issue, I can say more than the other issues of this series, feels a little like a James Bond movie.  Grayson is a secret agent in every sense of the word.  He is suave, he’s deadly, and he even wears a tuxedo.  Deciding to turn the longest running member of the Batman Family from superhero to superspy last year was a choice I questioned, but the sales numbers don’t lie.  And, to be frank, the book is good.  He’ll put on a costume again in time- that much is nearly a guarantee, but for the time being, I’m going to keep reading the series and hope that at some point the former Boy Wonder introduces himself as, “Grayson.  Dick Grayson.”

Batgirl #41

Now is as good a time as any to come clean about this:  I have had a gigantic crush on Barbara Gordon my entire life.  All of the Batgirls, really, but Barbara especially.  From the Sixties show to Batman: The Animated Series, she’s been my favorite.  The new look and direction that Batgirl has taken since Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, and Babs Tarr became the creative team on the book has reignited that schoolboy crush tenfold.  I don’t even know what it is, but Fletcher & Co. just get Barbara Gordon. 

The variant cover theme for this month is celebrating the 75^th Anniversary of The Joker.  Almost every book this month has an alternative cover depicting its title character with The Clown Prince of Crime.  When these covers were first announced, there was an instantaneous backlash regarding the cover to Batgirl #41 (pictured below).  Barbara and The Joker have a storied past.  Most notably, however, would be that one time he shot her in the spine causing her to be paralyzed, then proceeding to photograph her naked (with implied sexual assault), all in an attempt to drive Jim Gordon, Barbara’s dad and Commissioner of the Gotham City Police, to a mental breakdown.  It didn’t work, but Barbara was left with scars both physical and emotional.  The variant cover is an “homage” to the cover of The Killing Joke, the graphic (pun intended?) novel in which the assault occurs.  DC and artist of the cover, Rafael Albuquerque immediately cancelled the cover and issued a statement apologizing to any fans that were offended by the cover.

As far as the actual story within this issue goes, I don’t think it would be possible for Jim Gordon to become Batman and not have to interact with Batgirl at some point.  To their credit, the creative team went straight for it.  I think the All-New Batman/Jim Gordon will be present in Batgirl for at least the foreseeable future, which will make for some great moments in upcoming issues.  I am most definitely looking forward to issue #42 next month.

With the first month of DC You under the utility belt, I hope that everyone who read these last four entries was able to find a book (or ten) that they could read and enjoy.

As always, thanks for reading!

-Josh

Sources: excerpts from primary source interviews; Wikipedia

 
Batman, related characters, and images in this blog are owned and trademarked by DC Comics, a division or Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.

DC You, Part Three

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

There are few phrases that ring more true than the one above.  How many times have you been distanced (for whatever reason) from someone that you want to see or talk to and each day seems progressively worse than the day prior?  Imagine the feeling you have when you know you’ll see that person again soon.  Now imagine the feeling when that odyssey reaches its end and you look up to see that person’s beautiful face.  It’s as if the entire world fades away and the only thing in existence is them.

For about two years, the Justice League book published by DC Comics has been mired in crossover after crossover ("Throne of Atlantis", "Trinity War", "Forever Evil"), has seen line-up changes (Green Lantern leaves, Lex Luthor and Shazam arrive), and has basically been in a state of flux.  While this isn’t a bad thing (as a matter of fact, Justice League has been consistently one of my favorite titles), sometimes you just want an epic scale story with the premier superhero team in comic history.

So, imagine how overjoyed I was at the announcement that superstar writer/artist Bryan Hitch (The Ultimates, Authority, Fantastic Four) would be working on a new series, simply titled Justice League of America.  More on that later, let’s take a look at some other releases this week.

Black Canary #1

Spinning out of the pages of Batgirl, writer Brenden Fletcher (also co-writer of Batgirl) is taking DC Comics’ star siren on tour with her band, also named Black Canary.  While this is still a superhero comic, and there’s quite a bit of fighting, the book is different from its spandex-clad sister-title, not just in the art style, but in the way that the character relationships are being built.  I’m looking forward to seeing Black Canary on their next tour stop in July.

Dr. Fate #1

A hallmark character of DC Comics, the original Doctor Fate first appeared in May of 1940.  There have been numerous heroes to bear the name “Fate” in the long publishing history of the character, the newest being Khalid Nassour, a medical student of Egyptian descent.  Much like Black Canary this week and several other books in the past two, this book looks to break the “house style” and go for something truly visually different.  Sonny Liew’s art is definitely different than your traditional superhero fare.  Egyptian mythology is something that has always interested me so, while I picked up #1 to review for the blog, I’ll be picking up July’s #2 out of pure interest spiked by this issue.

Martian Manhunter #1

J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter was long overdue for his own solo series, in my opinion.  A perennial member of the Justice League, J’onn is getting the chance to break out on his own and writer Rob Williams is not wasting any time in doing just that.  “Everything you know about Martian Manhunter is wrong” is a line I’ve seen used in promotion for this series and, in a way, it fits perfectly.  He changes shape, he has telepathic abilities, he is the sole survivor of the Martian race.  Those are the three things you need to know going into the series and by the end of this issue, one of those things is no longer true.  Based on the strong first outing of this series, I’ll definitely be picking up #2.

Wonder Woman #41

One of the more curious additions to Wonder Woman’s origin in recent years has been the revelation that she is the daughter of Hippolyta (Queen of the Amazons, that’s not new) and Zeus (Greek God of Thunder and King of the Gods, that is new).  Roping in the Greek Pantheon has instantly bulked Wonder Woman’s supporting cast to gargantuan size.  This issue takes time to highlight both sides of Wonder Woman’s world, featuring Greek Gods and her Amazonian sisters.  I will say, though, that the entire issue felt like set up for the reveal of her new costume (as seen on the cover).  There is, however, set up for the next conflict in Wonder Woman’s life.

Robin, Son of Batman #1

A spiritual successor to the Batman and Robin series, writer Peter Tomasi and artist Patrick Gleason continue the story of Damian Wayne.  This time, the Boy Wonder is on his own.  Venturing across the world, Robin looks to atone for the sins of his past committed when still part of the League of Assassins (led by his grandfather, Ra’s al Ghul).  The premise of this entire series looks to depict the maturation of Damian as a human being and the transformation of Damian into the mold of what (he presumes) his father wants him to be.  The first solo title for a Robin since Tim Drake starred in the title in 2009, this book will be remaining on my read-list for sure.

Superman/Wonder Woman #18

Continuing the “Truth” storyline for the Superman titles, SM/WW #18 takes the title heroes to Superman’s hometown of Smallville.  Building from plot lines from last year’s Action Comics, Superman and Wonder Woman investigate attacks on Superman’s family and friends in Smallville.  Staying in lockstep with the other Superman titles, the Man of Steel’s identity is now known to the world at large, which plays a role in this story.  There will be a guest star(s) in July’s #19, and the last page reveal is an exciting look at said crossover.

Prez #1

Originally created in 1973 by Joe Simon (co-creator of Captain America), the first Prez was a teenage boy who was elected President of the United States.  The series looked to appeal to the “baby boomer” demographic, which would have been the largest group of comic book readers in the seventies.  Reimagining the series for modern audiences, this iteration of Prez features a teenage girl, Beth Ross, who is elected President via a Twitter poll in the year 2036.  Can’t make this shit up.  The book is actually a really interesting read.  Lots of social, political, and cultural commentary.  I can’t find any verification, but I believe this is a limited series, so I’ll probably continue through based on intrigue alone.

Secret Six #3

The Secret Six is a concept I love: six seemingly random characters thrown onto a team together.  More anti-hero than villain, the six of them band together to accomplish mutual goals.  A creative success from the late 2000s/early 2010s, the title was revived for The New 52 with issue #1 being released way back in December 2014.  With delays in shipping and the two-month break for Convergence, #3 hits the stands today.  Basically all you need to know going into this issue is that the six were held captive for quite some time by an enemy unknown, but they managed to escape in #2.  The issue picks up with the team attempting to adjust to life together in suburban Gotham City (which exists, despite how weird it sounds).  Secret Six #3 takes the silver medal this week.

Justice League of America #1

I’ve looked forward to this book for months and it lived up to every bit of hype my mind imposed upon it.  Clocking in at 56 pages, this mammoth issue is well worth the $5.99 price tag.  “#1” on the cover of your book is oftentimes used as an excuse for the story on the pages within to be nothing up set-up for the issues that follow.  Hitch does not employ this logic here.  Every page feels necessary and contributes to the scope of the story.  “Cinematic” is the most appropriate word I can think to use here, as this issue feels the most like a movie of any comic book I have ever read.  The whole gang is here and each member is highlighted in his or her own unique way.  Plot threads are laid for the team to be split up in the coming issues (Flash & Green Lantern should get a heavy portion of #2 or #3 dedicated to just the two of them) and one member of the team is still off on his own.  According to writer/artist Bryan Hitch, the villain of the story is new and old, stating both that "you've heard of him before," and that the villain is "one for the old comic fans…but at the same time something completely new because you've never actually seen this character before."  That’s got me excited for #2 alone.  Speaking of, longtime comic fans are probably skeptical of Hitch not only being on the art of this book, but actually being the writer as well.  Well known for his high standard of quality, Hitch is not necessarily known for his timeliness.  If reports are true, Hitch has been working on this series for about two years in somewhat secrecy.  I, for one, am hoping this is true, because I cannot wait for issue #2 (and #3 and #4 and #5 and #6…).

If my words haven’t sold you on this book, please, allow the first four pages to do so.  See what I mean when I say “cinematic”?

One more week for DC You’s breakout month to go!  Thanks for reading!

-Josh

Sources: excerpts from primary source interviews; Wikipedia; Bleeding Cool

 
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