August Solicits

The August solicits for DC Comics came out this week and are available review at a number of places. Here is the link to Newsarama's coverage: http://www.newsarama.com/comics/dc-comics-august-2012-solicitations.html

August stands as an interesting month for DC for a number of reasons. It is officially a year into the DCnU which has had it's ups and down. It is the month before the purported 'zero issues' of September. And it seems to be the end of a number of storylines which makes me wonder if the second group of cancellations are around the corner. Heck, it was announced that Justice League International IS cancelled this month.

As for the super-family titles, there are some surprises as well ... especially in Supergirl. What I don't see is the hinted at super-family crossover that we read about way back here. Maybe the changes in direction and creative teams on Superman and Superboy have changed things. Or maybe this was pushed back to the zero issues.

Here is what is coming out in August.

SUPERGIRL #12 

Written by MICHAEL GREEN and MIKE JOHNSON 

Art and cover by MAHMUD ASRAR 

• SUPERGIRL confronts SUPERMAN in his Fortress of Solitude about the Bottle City of Kandor. 

• What mysterious connection does this have to a piece of Kryptonian debris that crashed with her ship? 

Now there is a lot to digest in just a couple of sentences here.

This could be the first time we enter the current Fortress of Solitude in the DCnU.

We knew about the Bottle City of Kandor from the Action Comics arc. We know that it was kept in the Collector's satellite after it's defeat (the satellite being the first Fortress). But will Supergirl want to join that city and it's culture? She has bemoaned the loss of her 'home' for 9 issues now. Will she forsake Earth and want to go back to a place she is comfortable with? Can she ... does Clark have the shrink ray at his disposal? And if she can't go home, will this further depress Kara?

I don't know if I like that she 'confronts' Superman rather than 'talks with'.

We will be a year into this book in August. Where will Kara be as a character?

Great cover by Mahmud Asrar but I don't know how it jibes with the solicit.

ACTION COMICS #12 

Written by GRANT MORRISON 

Backup story written by SHOLLY FISCH 

Art by RAGS MORALES, BRAD WALKER and RICK BRYANT 

Backup story art by CAFU 

 Cover by RAGS MORALES 

Variant cover by CLIFF CHIANG 

• What is the horrific secret behind “THE FORGOTTEN SUPERMAN”? 

• What happens when Superman is too late to save LOIS LANE? 

• And what is the staggering new threat The Man of Steel is about to face? 

• Plus in the backup, Perry White’s brush with death leads to startling consequences for Superman! 

I wish I could tell where in the Superman timeline this story takes place. Are we still years ago?

Perhaps the biggest thing for me is that we have the second issue of the title where enraged people are throwing trash at Superman. This is thematically similar to the cover of Action Comics #3 (although here it looks like a villain is controlling the citizens here). I don't need to see Superman pummeled with bottles and bricks anymore.

And Sholly Fisch gets to flesh out Perry White a bit. With art by Cafu. Should be good!

SUPERMAN #12 

Written by DAN JURGENS 

Art by DAN JURGENS and JESUS MERINO 

Cover by DAN JURGENS and NORM RAPMUND

• The entity that came from the bottom of the ocean in issue #9 is back – and it’s trying to create a dimensional gateway for his army! 

• Earth is in peril, and Superman is the only one who can prevent mass death and destruction. 

Still no mention of Scott Lobdell in the credits so Dan Jurgens is still in charge.

Of all the Superman solicits, this one reads the most natural. Imagine ... Superman saving an Earth in peril!! Fantastic. I just want Superman stories where he is an accepted and beloved hero, fighting super-villains, and saving people. I don't think that is too much to ask.

SUPERMAN ANNUAL #1 

Written by KEITH GIFFEN 

Art by SCOTT KOLINS 

Cover by TYLER KIRKHAM and BATT 

•Abducted by a group of mysterious aliens, Superman is dragged to a remote alien galaxy to take part in THE GAMES, a world hopping game of cat-and-mouse where players are hunted for sport. 

• Can even the help of a mysterious new GREEN LANTERN overcome the might of an alien empire? 

Ahh ... the Hunger Games plot rears its head again!

That said, I like the idea of a star-spanning Superman, a cosmic Superman. So getting him off planet might be a great change of pace for this embattled Kal. And Keith Giffen is writing!

SUPERBOY #12 

Written by TOM DeFALCO 

Art by R.B. SILVA and ROB LEAN 

Cover by STEVE LIGHTLE 

• There’s a monster hiding in the shadows of New York after dark, and she’s set her sights on Superboy. But her interest in him is more complicated than it seems! 

• Superboy’s just starting to figure out what it means to have friends – does he have the good judgment to pick the right ones? Or is he destined to run with the wrong crowd? 

Tom DeFalco takes over the Superboy book in August. I suppose that frees up Lobdell to take over Superman.

But the tone of the book feels the same here. Is he destined to run with the wrong crowd? Is he a hero? A year in and we are getting more 'is he a bad guy' plots? Time to move on a bit I think.

WORLDS' FINEST #4 

Written by PAUL LEVITZ 

Art by GEORGE PEREZ, KEVIN MAGUIRE and SCOTT KOBLISH 

Cover by GEORGE PEREZ 

• Hakkou, the Irradiated Man – the mysterious bad guy who might have a connection to Earth 2 – has grown to monstrous proportions. It's up to Power Girl and Huntress to stop him – from destroying Tokyo?! • Huntress learns how crime works on this Earth in the mean streets of Rome! 

• Plus: Learn what the heroic duo have been up to in the five years since they arrived on this Earth! 

A giant monster stomping on Tokyo? Hopefully Levitz can cash in on the premise to make it fun.

How Huntress can be in Tokyo and Rome is hard to fathom unless the Hakkou part is resolved quickly.

I am glad that Levitz will review what happened in those missing 5 years. I just want to hear why they didn't seek out the Clark/Bruce of E1 during that time.  Plus, those are the Maguire pages.

SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 #4 

Written by BRYAN Q. MILLER 

Art by PERE PEREZ 

Cover by RYAN BENJAMIN and JOEL BENJAMIN 

• The story arc kicking off the SEASON PREMIERE EVENT concludes! 

• CHLOE and OLIVER make a shocking discovery as they come face-to-face with the sole survivor of the crash. 

• More machine than man, an out-of-control HENSHAW must be stopped – this looks like a job for SUPERMAN! 

Will I continue to get the Smallville print copy? Maybe. Based on the first issue, I think that this might be the most traditional Superman comic. Superman downplaying his heroics while he saves satellites? Nice.

Now we have Henshaw ... the Cyborg Superman ... showing up?

Biding my time until Kara and Legion show up.

SUPERMAN FAMILY ADVENTURES #4 

Written by ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO 

Art and cover by ART BALTAZAR 

• The City of Metropolis runs into Monkey Mayhem when Beppo’s friend goes crazy! 

• Meet the gigantically giant, ginormously angry ape TITANO! 

• Can the Super Family make things right? What’s Kryptonite have to do with this? And where the heck is the Chief’s coffee?

And we end with Superman Family Adventures. A fun Superman book, that co-stars Supergirl, that I can share with my kids. Yep! I'm happy! Can't wait for this comic!