Now this month has a gimmick of gatefold posters as what has been shown is only half the cover. So it can be something of an interesting exercise to try to guess what is on the other side.
But that gimmick, and that is what it feels like, seemed to be inconsequential outside of the creative team upheaval and the cancellation of a number of titles including Superman Family Adventures. I don't know when I started to question the overall creative leadership of DC Comics but it feels like forever. But over the last year it seems like all of my concerns have sort of been brought to a boil. Inconsistent characterization, inappropriate characterizations, a sort of return to the 90s ethos, dropping promising creators, nudging good creators out ... there is so much nonsense from the industry side of things that it is hard not to notice.
Look, I read comics to escape. But I want it to be a good escape. And things have seemed overall a little off for a while.
Okay, off the soapbox and on to the solicits.
SUPERGIRL #19
Written by MIKE JOHNSON
Art and fold-out cover by MAHMUD ASRAR
1:25 MAD Variant cover by The Usual Gang of Idiots
• In a battle of equals, which girl will reign supreme?
We are out of H'El on Earth so just what lies ahead for Supergirl? Where will she be as a character? More invested with Earth? More of a loner?
I suppose a battle with Lex Luthoris a good thing to see, tying her more tightly with the Superman family. And what is on the other side of the cover? At first I thought Bizarro-Girl. But the words 'reign supreme' make me think this is the return of Reign, the World-Killer.
Art and fold-out cover by MAHMUD ASRAR
1:25 MAD Variant cover by The Usual Gang of Idiots
• In a battle of equals, which girl will reign supreme?
We are out of H'El on Earth so just what lies ahead for Supergirl? Where will she be as a character? More invested with Earth? More of a loner?
I suppose a battle with Lex Luthoris a good thing to see, tying her more tightly with the Superman family. And what is on the other side of the cover? At first I thought Bizarro-Girl. But the words 'reign supreme' make me think this is the return of Reign, the World-Killer.
ACTION COMICS
#19
Written by ANDY DIGGLE
Art by TONY S. DANIEL and BATT
Fold-out cover by TONY S. DANIEL
1:25 Variant cover by TONY S. DANIEL
• Lex Luthor is in jail and his battlesuit is back in action. But if he's not wearing it, who is?
Written by ANDY DIGGLE
Art by TONY S. DANIEL and BATT
Fold-out cover by TONY S. DANIEL
1:25 Variant cover by TONY S. DANIEL
• Lex Luthor is in jail and his battlesuit is back in action. But if he's not wearing it, who is?
I have been looking forward to Diggle's Action Comics since I read how he wants to go back to a bright and optimistic Superman.
If Supergirl fighitng Luthor is very good, Superman fighting Luthor's battle suit is good. I think a more classic take on Superman is a perfect follow-up for Morrison's epic.
SUPERMAN #19
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and fold-out cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT
1:25 MAD Variant cover by The Usual Gang of Idiots
• Who is the one person with the power to turn Wonder Woman against Superman?
Again, this is the post-H'El Superman. I still haven't embraced the Superman/Wonder Woman relationship. So I don't know if I want to see more of it to see if it can work or if I just want it to go away.
So who is on the other side of the cover who can make Superman fight Diana? Some mind control villain? Queen Bee?
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and fold-out cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT
1:25 MAD Variant cover by The Usual Gang of Idiots
• Who is the one person with the power to turn Wonder Woman against Superman?
Again, this is the post-H'El Superman. I still haven't embraced the Superman/Wonder Woman relationship. So I don't know if I want to see more of it to see if it can work or if I just want it to go away.
So who is on the other side of the cover who can make Superman fight Diana? Some mind control villain? Queen Bee?
SUPERBOY #19
Written by TOM DeFALCO
Art by R.B. SILVA and ROB LEAN
Fold-out cover by ARDIAN SYAF
• Superboy discovers he is more than a clone—but what is the shocking secret behind his origin and birth?
Written by TOM DeFALCO
Art by R.B. SILVA and ROB LEAN
Fold-out cover by ARDIAN SYAF
• Superboy discovers he is more than a clone—but what is the shocking secret behind his origin and birth?
Well, we are nineteen issues in and we continue to learn more 'shocking secrets' about Superboy's origin. Is it the third donor? Nice use of DNA as a weapon on the cover.
I do wonder where Superboy will be post-H'El. Will he be more open to Superman?
WORLDS’ FINEST #11
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art by BARRY KITSON and others
Cover by BARRY KITSON
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art by BARRY KITSON and others
Cover by BARRY KITSON
• Mr. Terrific and Power Girl reunited? But if Michael Holt is still on Earth
2, who is kissing Karen Starr?
So there has been a lot of artists working on Worlds' Finest these days. I hear that Perez and Maguire will start alternating full issues so maybe these stand-ins work to give those guys some lead time.
I am a big fan of Barry Kitson. Loved his Supergirl over on Mark Waid's Legion. So this should be a fun book to read. But this looks like a complete cover. Who/what could complete this cover?
SMALLVILLE SEASON 11 #12
Written by BRYAN Q. MILLER
Art by JORGE JIMENEZ
Cover by SCOTT KOLINS
• All-new digital adventures in print for the first time!
• The shocking conclusion to “Haunted.”
• Superman and Impulse face off against the Black Flash in Las Vegas!
• Meanwhile, events move into crisis mode on Earth 2...
Now this issue's cover looks very interesting. What sort of suit is Superman wearing? It looks like the John Fox Flash from the future. And given the inclusion of Black Flash, that might make sense.
I have been very interested in the Tess part of Haunted so I wonder if her story concludes here.
And the upcoming Crisis! Fantastic!
Written by BRYAN Q. MILLER
Art by JORGE JIMENEZ
Cover by SCOTT KOLINS
• All-new digital adventures in print for the first time!
• The shocking conclusion to “Haunted.”
• Superman and Impulse face off against the Black Flash in Las Vegas!
• Meanwhile, events move into crisis mode on Earth 2...
Now this issue's cover looks very interesting. What sort of suit is Superman wearing? It looks like the John Fox Flash from the future. And given the inclusion of Black Flash, that might make sense.
I have been very interested in the Tess part of Haunted so I wonder if her story concludes here.
And the upcoming Crisis! Fantastic!
SUPERMAN FAMILY ADVENTURES #12
Written by ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO
Art and cover by ART BALTAZAR
• Because you demanded it! The return of the lunch lady! Er, we mean, the return of DARKSEID!
• Has he returned for good—or evil? Is he going to make us pancakes?
• When the Super Family leaps into action, will they be trapped in Apokolips?!
I talked about it a lot here.
This was a great Superman book ... a great super-hero book ... a great All Ages book. It sold well for a 'kids book'. And it will be missed.
Art Baltazar and Franco, thank you so much for this book.
Written by ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO
Art and cover by ART BALTAZAR
• Because you demanded it! The return of the lunch lady! Er, we mean, the return of DARKSEID!
• Has he returned for good—or evil? Is he going to make us pancakes?
• When the Super Family leaps into action, will they be trapped in Apokolips?!
I talked about it a lot here.
This was a great Superman book ... a great super-hero book ... a great All Ages book. It sold well for a 'kids book'. And it will be missed.
Art Baltazar and Franco, thank you so much for this book.
Your right about the gatefold covers being a gimmick, Anj.
ReplyDeleteHere is a article that talks about it. It is revealed in the third paragraph down.
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/01/18/chaos-and-order-at-dc-comics/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook
This is revealed how DC editors and management interferes with story lines.
The most revealing part of it is this line of how bad it is for the writers quote,
"And then plots had to fit the new gatefold covers – some writers were given the cover reveal as a de facto plot point and now had to rewrite the issue to reflect the cover."
Now that really sucks to do that to the writers only time will tell just how many series own stories are affected.
Almost every series was effected story wise by the #0 issue gimmick DC did. Derailing many writers and the sales of their series a great deal.
I knew DC was going to be in trouble when they suddenly announced that Flashpoint wasn't a "soft reboot" after all, it was a total erasure/wipe out of the past continuity a "non-reboot" in their own words.
Didio and Lee claimed that Flashpoint was years in the making, then it became several months then its found out.
It was revealed, over time, it was only a handful of weeks.
Writers and artists were only given 3-4 months to finish their current stories and scramble for new series in the New 52. You can easily see how it effected the Legion's then current Super-Villains story and Levitz had to give a so-so ending to it.
Something tells me by January 2014 DC could be facing major upheaval in the management and editors departments and have seriously hurt the writers and artists in the process. If not sooner.