DC Comics Discussion

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Talk DC Comics here.

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Vikram wrote:

If they don’t call it Absolute Comics Detective Comics I will cry.

Hopefully Batman will be back in black.

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Sean Robinson, Vikram

Tynion & Bueno returning for a Nice House On The Lake sequel:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/james-tynion-iv-nice-house-on-the-lake-1235874748/

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Vikram, Sean Robinson

Awesome! I’ll be very happy to read more Nice House.

DC Solicitations for July

at GamesRadar/Newsarama

at CBR

at Comics Beat

at AIPT

I haven’t bought a monthly comic in years but reading the solicits, the whole Absolute Power and the lead up to it sounds fun to me. I’ll definitely give the trades a try.

I’m not enthused over Absolute Power, but I was sceptical on Dark Crisis and that was a fun read in collected firm.

The big surprise for me in the solicits was Jamal Campbell being back on Superman!

Like that DC are issuing trades in both paperback and hardback, might really pay off for them.

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Sean Robinson

Nice little interview with Tom King here re: his Wonder Woman run – https://www.gamesradar.com/comics/dc-comics/tom-king-wonder-woman-9-interview/ – arguably my favourite ongoing superhero book since it launched. I really like what he’s doing here, and Sampere’s artwork is gorgeous.

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Ben, Sean Robinson

Jenny Sparks: DC Announces New Wildstorm Series From Tom King and Jeff Spokes – ComicBook.com

The four-issue Black Label book begins in August.

One of DC’s most unlikely superheroes is getting a new solo series. On Tuesday, the publisher announced a new Jenny Sparks miniseries, which will be a modern reinvention of the titular Wildstorm character. Written by Tom King with art by Jeff Spokes and lettering by Clayton Cowles, Jenny Sparks will be published as part of DC’s Black Label line of books. The title will consist of four 40-page issues, with 28 story pages per issue. Jenny Sparks #1 will hit local comic book shop shelves on August 21st. Jenny Sparks #1 will have a main cover by Spokes, and variant covers by Guillem March, Homare, and a 1:25 variant by Saowee.

“Jenny Sparks is an epic, thrilling, mind-blowing series in the tradition of Strange Adventures, Mister Miracle, and The Human Target,” said Tom King. “The Spirit of the 20th Century comes to the 21st to try to save five men and women taken hostage by an out-of-control and infinitely powered Captain Atom. Through this lens, we’ll explore the grip of Jenny’s time on our own; how, despite all our desperate prayers, the sins of our past refuse to die away. Featuring astonishing art by Jeff Spokes (seriously, it’s so damn good), Jenny Sparks seeks to set the bar in superhero comics, to show how our heroes can illuminate and define our moment.”

What Is Jenny Sparks About?
Readers of DC’s WildStorm comics will know that Jenny has always worked outside of the Justice League establishment to find anomalies in the superhero community, is subtle enough to dig into the lies of the most powerful people on the planet, and is strong enough to fight back when these fallen heroes discover who’s digging. She can, if only for a moment, light up the darkest nights. In DC’s new Jenny Sparks, Jenny is the Spirit of the 20th Century, resurrected for the 21st.

Kicking off the action in Jenny Sparks #1, what could four strangers have to do with the fate of the world? Find out as Captain Atom goes rogue, threatening to destroy the planet he once swore to protect. It may take the most unconventional hero of them all to stop him…Jenny Sparks, the one woman tasked with keeping all the heroes in line, no matter the cost. With a snap of her fingers, she’s entered the fray and won’t quit until the job is done!

Keep scrolling for the first look at Jenny Sparks #1.

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Ben

Sean Robinson wrote:

In DC’s new Jenny Sparks, Jenny is the Spirit of the 20th Century, resurrected for the 21st.

I wonder how Jenny Quantum feels about this.

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Dan, Todd, Ben

Looking forward to this! King is still one of the few writers who can make me buy a superhero book (provided, it’s a miniseries), and I do love Jenny Sparks.

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Ben

I’m inclined to be optimistic, as it’s a Black Label book.

Yeah, importing the Wildstorm characters into the DCU is a non-starter.  But something separate like this or The Wild Storm has more potential.

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Ben

Yup. And I haven’t read King’s more mainstream books, but his stand-alone miniseries work has all been great for me. The Vision, Supergirl, the Rorschach book, Omega Men, Mr. Miracle… all good at the least, some of them even great.

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Ben

As I said above, I think King’s Wonder Woman is one of the best comics coming out today. It’s a bit of a slow burn, but it’s a fantastic take on the character. And, the artwork is gorgeous.

I’d also highly recommend Helen of Wyndhorn.

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Ben, Christian

Helen of Wyndhorn looks great, I’ll keep an eye out for the trade, cheers!

Where Wonder Woman is concerned, I don’t like getting into ongoing superhero series anymore… but maybe if the Kindle versions are cheap :)

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Ben, Vikram

For me there are two Tom Kings – the one who does the great standalone series like Vision, Mister Miracle, Strange Adventures and Human Target which feel like thoughtful and creative approaches to old ideas.

Then there’s the other one, who… well, I’ll be kind and say nothing at all.

I just hope Jenny Sparks is the first one.

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Ben, Christian

Sparks is a standalone mini though.

I read some of his Batman stuff (free on amazon unlimited), and I thought it was okay, but nothing to write home about.

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Dave

I wasn’t keen on King’s Batman run at all, to be fair. I also read his earlier Grayson run recently, and found that lacking too. I think he’s definitely improved as a writer in the years since then.

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Dave

Christian wrote:

Sparks is a standalone mini though.

Yeah, that usually bodes well. Although his Supergirl and Rorschach limited series were letdowns, despite nice art on both.

King’s long form Batman is hugely variable, but does tend to have consistently great art. His short form Batman stories after that long run have been far better.

As has been, there’s multiple Kings, hopefully this is the good, and not the mad or bad one.

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Dave, Vikram

DC Solicitations for August 2024

at GamesRadar/Newsarama

at CBR

at Comics Beat

at AIPT

Dave wrote:

Yeah, that usually bodes well. Although his Supergirl and Rorschach limited series were letdowns, despite nice art on both.

I liked them both. Supergirl wasn’t the kind of deconstructive work he’s done on Strange Adventures or Mr. Miracle or The Vision, but it was a super fun adventure romp, I thought. And Rorschach was an interesting take, I thought, that worked well in what it did.

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Vikram, Dave

Sean Robinson wrote:

DC Solicitations for August 2024

at GamesRadar/Newsarama

at CBR

at Comics Beat

at AIPT

ZERO HOUR 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL #1
Written by DAN JURGENS and RON MARZ
Art by DAN JURGENS, DARRYL BANKS, JERRY ORDWAY, PAUL PELLETIER, KELLEY JONES and more!
Cover by DAN JURGENS and JERRY ORDWAY
Variant covers by ALAN QUAH and KEN LASHLEY
1:25 variant cover by DAN HIPP
RAISED UV cover by JON BOGDANOVE ($10.99 US)
$9.99 US | 80 pages | Variant $9.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 8/28/24
30 years ago, one of the DCU’s brightest heroes fell from grace, driven over
the edge by his failure to save Coast City and millions of people. In the
famed EMERALD TWILIGHT storyline, Hal Jordan became PARALLAX in the
wake of Coast City being annihilated. After that, he almost succeeded in
refashioning the entire timeline and resetting reality to restore his home
in the ZERO HOUR event. Luckily, the heroes prevailed and destroyed this
villain and timeline for good…or so we thought. Green Lantern Kyle Rayner
is about to discover Hal and his vision have survived, and they’re willing to
do whatever it takes to make sure their world prevails!
Writers Dan Jurgens and Ron Marz return to the world of Zero Hour with
an art team comprised of all-star DC talent to celebrate this landmark
anniversary. What repercussions will their story today have for those of
tomorrow? Find out in this oversized special packed with action and your
favorites from the ’90s!

Oh I’ll have to pick that up. Ron Marz and Darryl Banks doing a Kyle Rayner book again is definite buy for me.

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Vikram

Jeph Loeb announced Batman: The Last Halloween today. A 10 part final chapter starting in September. Every issue to be drawn by a different artist as a tribute to Tim Sale. They’re reprinting the last Loeb/ Sale special as a #0 just beforehand. I might wait for the inevitable hardcover on this (Absolute preferably) but it sounds like a wonderful idea.

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Todd, Sean Robinson

I feel mixed about it. The last one-shot with Sale was pretty good and was clearly setting up a further series. But with his passing it feels odd to continue with the project regardless given that his art was such an integral part of the whole thing.

I’ll have to just try and look at it as a tribute more than anything else.

Didn’t even know there had been a last Loeb-Sale Batman one-shot!

I’m really not sure about that project, Sale is such a major part of The Long Halloween books. 10 artists says styles will vary which I’m not sure fits this.

Talking of Batman, how is the post-Gotham War Zdarsky run doing? I was looking at the Joker: Year One trade due August but its pitch of a more sadistic than ever Joker doesn’t do much for me after the last few years of getting exactly that.

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Dave

Ben wrote:

Didn’t even know there had been a last Loeb-Sale Batman one-shot!

Yeah, it was this one from a few years ago.

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Ben

…

Ben wrote:

Didn’t even know there had been a last Loeb-Sale Batman one-shot!

I’m really not sure about that project, Sale is such a major part of The Long Halloween books. 10 artists says styles will vary which I’m not sure fits this.

Talking of Batman, how is the post-Gotham War Zdarsky run doing? I was looking at the Joker: Year One trade due August but its pitch of a more sadistic than ever Joker doesn’t do much for me after the last few years of getting exactly that.

Wow. Tough crowd. Ten “legendary” (Loeb’s words, but considering his track record in artistic collaborators I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt) artists who inspired or were admired by Tim Sale; all of whom signed up to join this tribute project. Loeb himself came “out of retirement” for this. I think it all sounds great. YMMV though, clearly.

Joker: Year One was a total train wreck, btw. Skip it.

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Sean Robinson, Ben

Vikram wrote:

Wow. Tough crowd. Ten “legendary” (Loeb’s words, but considering his track record in artistic collaborators I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt) artists who inspired or were admired by Tim Sale; all of whom signed up to join this tribute project. Loeb himself came “out of retirement” for this. I think it all sounds great. YMMV though, clearly.

I think it’s more that both Loeb and Sale were such integral parts of the previous collaborations that subbing in a load of other artists, even A-listers, isn’t going to feel quite the same.

Clearly this is a project that was originally envisioned with Sale, but which DC and Loeb want to continue without him. That’s fine, and positioning it as a tribute will no doubt buy them some goodwill, but it isn’t ever going to quite feel like it’s of a piece with the previous Loeb/Sale collaborations.

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Ben, Vikram

Yeah. That’s fair. It won’t have the same creative synergy that Loeb & Sale had, but I’m hopeful for a decent wrap up to the overall “Holiday” mega arc nevertheless.

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Dave, Ben

Ouch, sounds like even Sorrentino art can’t save Joker: Year One.

There were some rumours that Sorrentino’s art on this was AI generated. I can see why. I’m a huge fan of his stuff (from all the way back on I, Vampire) but this really doesn’t feel a lot like his work. It’s a horrid mish mash of a story with inconsistent artwork.

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Todd, Ben

Wow, that’s a shame. Zdarsky’s run started off good but looks to have been smashed into something.

At the same time DC are into event overload, while doing really good creator combinations but only for the first arc, then the artist vanished. Though Superman is finally getting Campbell back.

The other factor is price, with both DC and Marvel moving to a RRP £17.99 in place of £14.99 for paperbacks.

[Sean Robinson]

Catwoman gets her paws on a Green Lantern Power Ring in the upcoming sequel to one of Batman’s best ever stories – GamesRadar/Newsarama

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight: The Kryptonian Age is a 12-issue limited series

DC’s iconic Elseworlds line is returning this year with a raft of new series and spin-offs including The Kryptonian Age – the long-awaited sequel to classic Batman story, Gotham by Gaslight.

As previously announced, Batman: Gotham by Gaslight: The Kryptonian Age is a 12-issue limited series written by Andy Diggle with art by Leandro Fernández and colors from Dave Stewart, and is once again set in an alternative 19th-century version of Gotham City.

DC has now released some first look teaser pages from The Kryptonian Age #1 that show this universe’s version of Catwoman stealing a very familiar ring…

Brian Augustyn and Mike Mignola’s original Gotham by Gaslight one-shot saw the 19th-century Bruce Wayne take on Jack the Ripper. The comic was published in February 1989 and is considered to be the first Elseworlds story – though it was not labelled as such on its initial printings. A sequel, Batman: Master of the Future, followed in 1991 once again written by Augustyn, though this time drawn by Eduardo Barreto. Brian Augustyn passed away in 2022.

More in link, with pics…

• This reply was modified 6 months, 1 week ago by Sean Robinson.

Sean Robinson wrote:

he long-awaited sequel to classic Batman story, Gotham by Gaslight.

Was it long-awaited though? Was it?

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Todd, Dave, Sean Robinson

Get your own copy of the 1982 DC Comics Style Guide

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Sean Robinson

Yes, thank you. I pre-ordered a copy.

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Todd

Plastic Man is dying in a “hard-boiled” new DC Black Label series inspired by David Cronenberg – GamesRadar/Newsarama

Plastic Man No More! spells bad news for Eel O’Brian

A new DC Black Label series will take a “hard-boiled” approach to classic DC superhero Plastic Man.

Plastic Man No More! is a four-issue series by the Eisner-nominated writer Christopher Cantwell and artist Alex Lins that looks at what might happen if Eel O’Brien’s powers started to unexpectedly fail. The answer, Cantwell says, is inspired by a classic horror movie director…

“I don’t know about you, but when I think about Plastic Man, I immediately think of David Cronenberg,” said Cantwell in a statement. “There is an element of body horror to his story that I have always found fascinating. And I also found myself wondering recently – How would Plastic Man actually die? What would that look like? Is he immortal? And then I thought of the long and particularly nasty way real plastics and petroleum products break down when and if they finally do. That’s how I learned about depolymerization and the chemical process of ‘unzipping,’ – from a particularly morose afternoon on the ol’ Internet, picturing what might happen to Eel if his entire cellular structure started to give way.”

Check out some awesome covers below by (from left to right) Alex Lins, Tyler Boss, Michael Allred, and Chris Samnee. (If you click the evil-contaminated link…)

Plastic Man No More! sees the criminal-turned-superhero embark on a mission with the Justice League, only for it to go terribly wrong and leave him with catastrophic cellular damage. Seemingly dying, Plastic Man realises that he’s running out of time to save his son who, according to DC’s press release, “might have inherited more from dear old Dad than just his superpowers…”

Here’s a gallery of unlettered pages from the first issue that showcase Alex Lins’ interior art for the series. (again, only if you sell your soul and click on the link…)

“There are many superhero stories that play with the metaphor of our own inability to control our physical bodies,” Cantwell continued. “Plastic Man provided a way to take that allegory even deeper. How we look in the mirror and see one thing, then see a photo of ourselves and don’t recognize the person at all. How we all break down over time. What’s this strange itch? Why is this sagging? Why does this hurt now? Is my face permanently going to look like this? Or get even worse? With all these questions in the story comes a real and profound fear of aging, and yes, what lies beyond that – dying.”

He went on to say that the series will find Plastic Man questioning himself and his legacy. “The character also has a history of neglect and failure when it comes to personal relationships. So quite catastrophically, Patrick O’Brien suddenly finds himself desperate, asking WHAT NOW? HOW DO I FIX THIS? ‘THIS’ being his very body, his very cells, as well his connections to the people he loves. And just WAIT until you see how horrifically and hilariously Alex Lins and Jacob Edgar have rendered this referendum on our vanguard ultra-bendable former-criminal-turned-hero-guy.”

Every issue of Plastic Man No More! will feature 32 story pages. As it’s a DC Black Label book the series will also carry an Ages 17+ content descriptor. The first issue is published by DC on September 4.

DC Solicitations for September

at GamesRadar/Newsarama

at CBR

at Comics Beat

at AIPT

at FCN

Apologies for the BC link, but I hadn’t seen this reported anywhere else:

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/dc-absolute-universe-creative-line-up-revealed-october/

Snyder, Aaron and Lemire is a pretty solid basis for this kind of thing I guess. And good for Deniz for getting another high-profile gig.

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njerry, Sean Robinson, Christian

I love many of those creators but I’m just so so so tired of DC, in particular, doing this sort of thing. I recognise, of course, the irony of that statement given how much I’m enjoying the new Ultimate titles. I wait to see what comes out of SDCC in a couple of weeks time, but I’m not enthused at the moment.

Far more excited about the rumoured return of Starman by Robinson and Harris no less. Hopefully there’s some truth to that one.

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Ben, njerry, Dave

Yeah, I don’t know about the whole thing as such, but I do like the people involved, and it’s very cool that Deniz is one of them.

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Todd, Dave

For me it’s all about the creators. I’ll likely check out the Snyder, Aaron and Lemire books at least.

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Ben, Christian, Sean Robinson, Vikram

Yeah. Who am I kidding here? I’m highly likely to be doing similar. I always do 😆

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Ben, Dave, Sean Robinson

One thing DC have been bad on is artistic continuity. They’ll announce a new series with a great creative pairing. Taylor and Scott, Williamson and Campbell, then after that first arc? Change of artist.

 

If they allow time for art consistently, then this could be good.

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Todd

Batman & Robin: Year One by Mark Waid & Chris Samnee.

DC to Launch BATMAN AND ROBIN: YEAR ONE by MARK WAID and CHRIS SAMNEE

Yes please.

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njerry, Ben, Sean Robinson

Can anyone explain the difference between DC Black Label and DC Absolute comics?

So it looks like the Absolute line is a new universe possibly created by Darkseid?🤷‍♂️. The rumoured creator lineup looks interesting, but the designs of the “new” trinity is surprisingly boring. Batmans upped his creatine intake, Wonder Womans got some ink and Superman’s gone a bit emo..Hardly groundbreaking.

The Absolute Trinity in that image could easily be mistaken for members of the WildStorm Authority. Maybe that’s intentional.

Batman & Robin: Year One by Waid and Samnee is amazing news.

I’m still less enthused by DC All In, but I’m curious to see what the October solicitations will bring.

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Dave

Way I understood it, it’s going to be a bit like the original Marvel Ultimate line. Same central characters, only more hardcore and shit. But with its own continuity and coherence (as opposed to Black Label, which is a collection of everything “edgy” that doesn’t fit the mainstream universe).

Not necessarily something anybody desperately needs, but it all depends on the execution, of course.

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Todd, Dave, Ben, Vikram

DC Solicitations for October 2024

at GamesRadar/Newsarama

at CBR

at Comics Beat

at AIPT

[Sean Robinson]

Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and more DC heroes join forces to restore the Justice League in a new ongoing series from Kingdom Come writer Mark Waid – GamesRadar/Newsarama

Plus, DC announces a new Absolute Flash ongoing series

The Justice League has been absent from the DC Universe for quite some time now, having disbanded during 2022’s Dark Crisis event. Still, you can’t keep a good super-team down and with the events of Absolute Power causing chaos worldwide, it’s time for the heroes to get their act together and save the day. Announced yesterday at DC’s Absolute Power panel at San Diego Comic Con, Justice League Unlimited is a new ongoing series by writer Mark Waid and artist Dan Mora that will unite DC’s biggest heroes once more.

The line-up for this new Justice League is made up of DC’s heaviest hitters: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and The Flash, plus the still mighty likes of Martian Manhunter, Captain Atom, Black Lightning, and Star Sapphire. What’s more, the new series will see the return of a classic comics location in a new and improved form. Yes, this version of the League will have a satellite Watchtower, with Mora sharing some early designs for the base that highlighted docking stations, Quarters of Solitude, a Boom Tube, and a portal to the Phantom Zone.

Above you can see the cover art for the first issue, which also reveals that Darkseid will play a part in the new book. Scott Snyder recently confirmed in the announcement video for DC’s new All In initiative that it would restore the Lord of Apokolips to his role as “the greatest villain in the DCU.”

In case you were wondering, Justice League Unlimited will take place in the core DCU, rather than the recently announced Absolute Universe. Speaking of that alternate timeline, however, the panel also revealed what the fourth book in DC’s big new publishing line will be.

Following Absolute Batman, Absolute Superman, and Absolute Wonder Woman, will be Absolute Flash – an ongoing series written by Sweet Tooth creator Jeff Lemire and primarily drawn by Nick Robles. At this time it’s unclear if the series will focus on Barry Allen, Wally West, or an entirely different incarnation of the Scarlet Speedster.

Justice League Unlimited will launch in November this year, with Absolute Flash following in March 2025.

• This reply was modified 4 months, 2 weeks ago by Sean Robinson.

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Ben

DC Brings Back Classic Milton Glaser-Designed Logo

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Todd, Sean Robinson

I really hope they change the trade dress for the upcoming DC Finest trades to have this new-old logo. It’s going to be incredibly aggravating to my anal retentive nature if one volume from every series in it, across the many many years I’m sure DC will stick with (::cough::) has a different logo to all the others.

[Sean Robinson]

Absolute Green Lantern is writer Al Ewing’s first series for DC and will be a “complete reimagining” of the concept, starring multiple Lanterns – GamesRadar/Newsarama

Jahnoy Lindsay will draw the new series

… While concrete details of Absolute Green Lantern were scarce and DC has not yet provided us with any imagery, the series was described by Scott Snyder as a “first contact story” that will incorporate multiple Lanterns, including Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and Jo Mullein from the highly acclaimed Far Sector. Snyder went on to describe the new book as a “complete reimagining” of Green Lantern, and hailed it as some of Ewing’s best ever work.

Ewing’s move to DC for an ongoing series feels notable, and comes hot on the heels of penning a Starman story for this year’s DC Pride. Previously the vast majority of his work has been for Marvel, where he has written many titles, including Guardians of the Galaxy, New Avengers, The Immortal Hulk, and the short-lived but beloved (by us at least) Avengers Inc. He’s currently writing The Immortal Thor and the Venom War event.

Jahnoy Lindsay, meanwhile, has drawn many comics for Marvel, including stints on She-Hulk, Luke Cage, and Hawkeye: Kate Bishop. Last year Lindsay drew the Superboy: The Man of Tomorrow limited series for DC.

• This reply was modified 4 months, 2 weeks ago by Sean Robinson.

Jeff Lemire’s new Justice Society of America ongoing series will focus on both the JSA and Infinity, Inc. – GamesRadar/Newsarama

The new comic is drawn by Diego Olortegui

Jeff Lemire will be writing two new books for DC in the coming months. Following the announcement at San Diego Comic Con on Friday that the writer will be penning Absolute Flash, with art from Nice House on the Lake’s Nick Robles comes the news that Lemire will also be writing an all new Justice Society of America series with art by Jay Garrick: The Flash artist Diego Olortegui. Here’s Olortegui’s main cover for the new book, along with a couple of unlettered pages from the first issue.

The new JSA line-up was teased in a piece of art from Olortegui which depicts, from left to right: Hawkgirl, the Jay Garrick Flash, Wildcat, Doctor Fate, Green Lantern Alan Scott, and Hawkman.

The panel also revealed that Infinity, Inc., the super-team traditionally made up of characters who have been rejected from the Justice Society of America (and are frequently the children of its members) will play a part in the series, sharing another character line-up, this time featuring the likes of Sand, Hourman, Jade, Obsidian, Dr. Mid-Nite, Jakeem Thunder, and Wildcat Yolanda Montez. DC are currently playing coy about how the two teams will interact in the new book, but it seems like Infinity, Inc. will be a major presence.
The new JSA book follows a month after the end of DC’s Geoff Johns-penned Justice Society of America series. That comic was launched in 2022 as a monthly series, drawn by Mikel Janín, but has endured numerous delays. The series will conclude with September’s #12, which is drawn by Todd Nauck, with Lemire and Olortegui’s new JSA series launching the following month.

A “cosmic imbalance” will lead to the return of Jack Kirby’s New Gods in a new series from Ram V and Evan Cagle – GamesRadar/Newsarama

Writer Ram V is currently finishing up a hugely well-received run on Detective Comics at DC. Now we know what his next project will be – a revival of Jack Kirby’s New Gods which will be launching at the end of the year. The new series will be drawn by one of his Detective Comics collaborators, too. Evan Cagle, who has provided the splendidly gothic covers for that series, will be the interior artist on the new ongoing series, simply titled The New Gods.

Speaking at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Ram V gave a few hints at what’s to come from the comic, stating that it is tied into DC’s recently announced DC All In initiative.

“Absolute and All In triggers a cosmic imbalance which starts this spiral between New Genesis and Apokolips,” he explained, before revealing that the new book will include classic characters such as Lightray, Highfather, Mister Miracle, and Big Barda – who is currently a member of the Birds of Prey. He also suggested that fatherhood would be a key theme of the series.

The New Gods are the inhabitants of the planets New Genesis and Apokolips – notably the home of Darkseid, who writer Scott Snyder has recently stated will be “the greatest villain in the DCU” for the DC All In era.

The New Gods were created by Jack Kirby in the early ’70s as he moved away from Marvel to DC. The characters debuted in Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #133 before spinning out into three ongoing comics: The Forever People, Mister Miracle, and The New Gods. Collectively known as Jack Kirby’s Fourth World, The New Gods have been a beloved and influential part of DC comics history ever since.

Ram V and Evan Cagle’s take on The New Gods will be published by DC in December, with a precise date still TBC.

Rumour sites (well, a UK rumour site) has it that there is a Robinson Harris Starman comic/OHC in the works.

I’m 50% excited and 50% leave yr legacy alone Robinson, as I think everything he has done in the last…10+ years save Scarlet Witch has been badly written.

Whilst I’m here, any word on Sandman Mystery Theatre huge collection Vol 2?

Dan wrote:

Whilst I’m here, any word on Sandman Mystery Theatre huge collection Vol 2?

Not that I’ve seen. Allegedly might come out if/when season 2 of Sandman is released on Netflix.

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Dan

Vikram wrote:

Ten “legendary” (Loeb’s words, but considering his track record in artistic collaborators I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt) artists who inspired or were admired by Tim Sale; all of whom signed up to join this tribute project. Loeb himself came “out of retirement” for this. I think it all sounds great.

Circling back round to this. The full artistic list for The Last Halloween has been announced, and it makes me pretty happy: Risso, Janson, Chiarello, Chiang, Sienkiewicz, Marini, Johnson, Cloonan, Samnee, and Scalera on #10. I think that’s quite a strong line up.

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Sean Robinson, Ben, Dave

DC Solicitations for November 2024

at GamesRadar/Newsarama

at CBR

at Comics Beat

at AIPT

Since DC Vs Vampires: World War V started, I asked ChatGPT to brainstorm an alternative plan to how Nightwing had his vampires burn all the world’s forests down to create enough smoke to block the sun. This is what it came up with:

An alternative solution could involve Nightwing tapping into ancient and forbidden magic or advanced technology to create an artificial “Eternal Night” over his vampire kingdom without damaging the environment. Instead of burning forests, Nightwing could summon or build enormous, floating obelisks that emit a dark energy field, blocking out sunlight in specific regions. These obelisks could be powered by siphoning life energy from a small percentage of the human population or drawing on a vast network of ley lines.

To address the need for human survival, Nightwing could manipulate these energy fields to allow filtered sunlight in controlled areas. These regions would grow food and maintain essential ecosystems, ensuring the survival of humans and vampires alike. This approach would highlight Nightwing’s cunning and foresight, presenting him as a ruler who understands the balance needed for his kingdom’s longevity, even if it requires morally gray actions. The inclusion of magic and super-science reinforces the fantastical nature of the world and avoids the ecological destruction issue.

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Christian

Proof that Alfred Pennyworth is a badass in any reality:

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Sean Robinson, Todd

[Sean Robinson]

DC Solicitations for December 2024

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• This reply was modified 2 months, 2 weeks ago by Sean Robinson.

I read the last issues of the Absolute Power. In the start, it looked like Amanda Waller covered all the bases and got the DC heroes dead to rights. But towards the end, it was all wrapped up a little too conveniently. Almost as rushed as the Krakoa wrap up.

 

Al-x wrote:

I read the last issues of the Absolute Power. In the start, it looked like Amanda Waller covered all the bases and got the DC heroes dead to rights. But towards the end, it was all wrapped up a little too conveniently. Almost as rushed as the Krakoa wrap up.

 

I just read this spoiler-filled article about the conclusion of Absolute Power.

It is one of those conclusions that you know won’t last very long. I wouldn’t be surprised there is a big event that undoes it.

[Keravin]

I read Absolute Batman and it was sort of interesting right up until the bike flew. That’s when I thought I’ll buy this cheap at some point in a ComiXology sale.

• This reply was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by Keravin.

They like Scott Snyder more than Geoff Johns and these are all in the same continuity?

DC Entertainment Is Changing the Shape—and Scrollability—of Comics

Comics are due for a reboot and the old guard knows it. DC Entertainment, the elder statesman of the business, has been trying everything to get young eyes on its familiar characters, from Monday’s surprise announcement of DC Go! webcomics, to a recently-launched kids’ line, to a licensing deal with teen favorite Webtoon.

Today, the company announced a partnership with even more potential to reshape the medium: a distribution deal with GlobalComix, a digital platform that has raised millions in funding to optimize traditional comics to be read by scrolling vertically on a smartphone.

Starting today, fans will be able to read 400 DC, Vertigo, and Wildstorm books, including story arcs from Batman, The Joker, and Doom Patrol, on GlobalComix’s subscription-based app, with many free to sample. The comics will be in standard panel-and-page format, but given GlobalComix’s investment and strategy around verticalization, DC’s move suggests a clear trend. That’s because the deal follows yesterday’s unveiling of DC Go!, a new mobile-optimized initiative on its DC Universe Infinite (DCUI) digital service. It won’t roll out until November 20, but when it does, it’ll allow readers to flick through original Harley Quinn, Nightwing, and Raven series—as well as some archival material—in a style familiar to anyone using apps like TikTok or Instagram.

Seems simple, obvious even, but it’s a shift the traditional comics industry has been slow to make. When comics first made the migration to digital formats, they largely resembled the same multipanel pages that comics readers had been looking at for years, optimized for the screens of iPads or other tablets. Vertically-scrolling comics, on the other hand, allow readers to follow the story top-to-bottom, like reading a feed on their smartphone. With all the other things now available on those screens—mobile games, social media—old-school publishers have to keep up.

That point was hammered home this summer when Webtoon, the South Korean mobile platform that has popularized vertically scrolling comics worldwide, went public in the US based on a valuation of $2.67 billion. DC’s plans, announced in the lead-up to New York Comic Con, which begins Thursday, indicate that the comics giant is ready to advance on a number of fronts.

“The legacy American comic publishers seem to have reached the limits of new customer acquisition through media,” says Milton Griepp, publisher of ICv2, the trade publication of the comics industry. If they want to grow, he adds, they’re going to have to embrace vertical scroll comics, “which are bringing in tens of millions of new, mostly younger readers worldwide.”

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Sean Robinson

DC reveals the return of Vertigo

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Sean Robinson

DC Solicitations for January 2025

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paul f wrote:

DC reveals the return of Vertigo

That’s cool. Obviously, they shouldn’t have let it die in the first place. Let’s hope they do something worthwhile with it this time around. The Nice House is a good start, certainly.

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Uncle Retrospective, Ben

23 years later, Batman: Hush 2 reunites Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee for a sequel to one of the greatest Batman stories ever told – GamesRadar/Newsarama

They’re replacing Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jiménez on Batman

“Yes, coming March of 2025 – we are bringing the band back together!,” Lee wrote in a post on his Instagram account. “Starting with Batman #158 in March of next year – writer @jephloeb3 inker @scottwilliamsinks @colorist @sinccolor and @richstarkings and I will be returning to the depths of Gotham City as Hush returns!”

Lee’s post also confirmed that the Dark Knight’s current creative team of Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jiménez will be wrapping up their run, presumably with Batman #157. “We have extremely big shoes to fill in the current Batman creatives Chip Zdarksy and @jorge_jimenez_art who are bringing their outstanding, nearly two year tenure on our flagship title to an epic, climatic conclusion,” Lee added. “Thank you gentlemen for your critically acclaimed, character redefining run!”

You can check out a preview of Hush 2 in the upcoming Justice League Unlimited #1 published on November 27. The first full issue of the story will feature in March 2025’s Batman #158.

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