June 2010 Solicits

The DC Comics June solicits are out and posted over on Newsarama. Here is the link:
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/DC-June-solicitations-100319.html

As usual, a couple of surprises have been slipped into the mix. On top of that, yet another addition to the shrine has been officially solicited meaning that I will officially have to start squirreling away some money.

On to the solicits.



SUPERGIRL #53
Written by STERLING GATES * Art by JAMAL IGLE & JON SIBAL * Cover by JAMAL IGLE

Beginning an all-new SUPERGIRL arc!
The War of the Supermen is over. Who is left to pick up the pieces? Fallout from her actions during the war plague Supergirl, and Kara has to make one of the toughest decisions of her life: Should she continue to be Supergirl and stay in metropolis - or is it time to move on? And with Cat Grant and the villainous [CLASSIFIED] coming at her harder than ever before, is being a superhero even worth it?

"Who is Supergirl?" begins here!

Now this sounds enticing. I have to be honest, I thought that the first Gates and Igle story arc would be called 'Who is Supergirl?' Let's face it, the Supergirl before Supergirl #34 was the character that needed some definition. But then New Krypton came out.

The truth is the Supergirl character has grown over the last year and a half. She has had to deal with her mother, Lana, and her place on two worlds. This is a much more mature Supergirl than the one who tried to save Thomas and suffered from Kryptonite poisoning.

But while she has made progress on her heroic journey, she is far from done with it. And after New Krypton, whatever has happened to her planet, her mother, her people ... she will need to re-define herself.

And the [classified] villain? I'm going to say the Toyman given the creepy doll sent to Cat Grant looong ago.

Despite my love of Josh Middleton, I am happy to see Jamal Igle finally produce a cover for this title. And this one is certainly a classic heroic pose, a version of the classic 'Clark turning into Superman' pose. Plus, she seems to be shedding the Linda Lang identity. Hopefully this means there will be a reconciliation with Lana.

On Twitter, Sterling Gates added:
We're going to start doing bigger, longer arcs that are self-contained within the pages of SUPERGIRL. Spread the word. :)

Sounds good to me!

And now the rest ...


SUPERMAN #700
Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI, JAMES ROBINSON & DAN JURGENS • Art by EDDY BARROWS, BENARD CHANG, DAN JURGENS & J.P. MAYER • Cover by GARY FRANK • 1:25 “DC 75th Anniversary” variant cover by Eduardo Risso • 1:75 “DC 75th Anniversary” variant black and white cover by Eduardo Risso

DC Comics proudly presents the 700th issue of SUPERMAN, a 56-page extravaganza full of tales celebrating the Man of Steel’s past, present and future! First up is a story by the man who actually killed Superman, Dan Jurgens! Then, James Robinson brings his epic run on the title to a close with a touching story featuring art by Benard Chang that brings Superman back to Earth after his time on New Krypton. Finally, we preview the exciting new SUPERMAN ongoing creative team as J. Michael Straczynski and Eddy Barrows provide a story that sets the stage for an explosive, all-new direction for The Man of Steel! (Seriously! Wait till you read this!)

The end of the James Robinson era and the beginning of the JMS era.

It certainly sounds like DC is pulling out all the stops in this anniversary transition issue. First, a story from the man who was the architect of the 1990's Superman, Dan Jurgens. Then the official end of the Robinson era. I think that it will be a nice capstone to an interesting run which was more Mon-El than Kal-El. But it brings Superman back to Earth ... finally. Add to that variant covers including the rare 1:75 variant.

I wonder about the 'explosive, all-new direction'. I still think it is going to be 'Superman as social activist'.


ACTION COMICS #890
Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM * Art by PETE WOODS * Cover by DAVID FINCH

Look out, Metropolis - Lex Luthor is back! The dynamic new creative team of Marc Guggenheim (Amazing Spider-Man) and Pete Woods (SUPERMAN: LAST STAND OF NEW KRYPTON) hits the scene with an oversized issue packed with non-stop action! That's not all! Superstar artist David Finch (BRIGHTEST DAY, New Avengers) joins ACTION COMICS this issue as new cover artist!

Another new beginning for the Superman titles as New Krypton is truly put into the rear view mirror.

Back when Guggenheim was first announced he promised to bring 'big action' back to the title. So I am interested to dive in here. I have no prior experience with Guggenheim, so I am going in with no preconceived notions.

Adding David Finch to the covers will surely bring some readers back to this title as well.



ADVENTURE COMICS #12
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art by KEVIN SHARPE
Cover by SCOTT CLARK & DAVID BEATY
1:25 "DC 75th Anniversary" Variant cover by LEE BERMEJO

Legion great Paul Levitz begins his ADVENTURE COMICS run by revisiting the Legion's past in this special story featuring one of Superboy's earliest adventures in the far future!

As an old-timer, I can't wait to see Paul Levitz back on the Legion. And a flashback story with Superboy with the Legion in their Silver Age costumes to boot! The official Legion book will be out by this time as well. I don't know if the long-term plans for Adventure have been finalized. Will it still be a Conner book?

I think the question for me is, do I review the Legion book officially here on this blog?



TINY TITANS #29
Written by ART BALTAZAR & FRANCO • Art and cover by ART BALTAZAR

It’s Supergirl’s turn to toddler-sit the tiny Tiny Titans! Can she handle this crisis of infinite toddlers – or will she burst into tears?

And a nice little surprise! A Supergirl issue in Tiny Titans! I have always loved her appearances in this book. She seems to be portrayed as being above the fray of the usual craziness happening around her. So this issue should be funny as we finally see her stressed a bit.

Plus, a Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 inspired cover on Tiny Titans? Incredible!




DC DYNAMICS: SUPERGIRL STATUE

Award-winning sculptor Tim Bruckner has transformed his original designs of the most recognizable DC heroes into some of the most outstanding, upscale statues DC Direct has ever produced. Each statue features a base that captures the character’s interaction with the surrounding environment.

In this sixth statue in the series, Kara Zor-El celebrates her powers with carefree, youthful exuberance.

Limited Edition Statue * $195 US

I covered this statue when it was first announced and guessed it would be $195 based on prior Dynamic Statues. But $195!

Well, I have 8 months to complete a layaway plan. It doesn't help that the $80 Turner-style mini-statue is coming out the month before.

Still, I really think this statue is going to be stunning and will be a great part of the shrine.