DC Comics August Solicits

The DC August solicits have been released and despite some corporate turnover and turmoil, the company seems to be firing on all cylinders. Here is a link to Newsarama's listings:https://www.gamesradar.com/dc-august-2021-solicitations/

There are a lot of great books out there and the Superman family remains a pretty big presence on the docket. I better start saving my pennies. There are a couple of the periphery which I may not get. But overall, it looks like a good month. Let's look at the books.

Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow #3
story by TOM KING
art & Cover by BILQUIS EVELY
variant cover by DAVID MACK

Supergirl's journey across the cosmos continues! Her hunt to bring the killer Krem to justice brings her and the young alien in her care to a small planet, where they discover that there are still some very small minds, even on the outer edges of the galaxy. The cold welcome the locals give the Woman of Steel makes her suspicious enough to go looking for secrets they want to keep buried, and what she finds is nothing short of horrifying. Can she and Ruthye get off the planet alive now that these deadly sins have been exposed?

Can't get over that David Mack cover. Just stunning. And the Evely cover is also lovely.

Nothing in particular in the solicit itself. This sounds like it might be a 'planet of the month' series. But the thing is I wish there would be more mention of Supergirl herself in these solicits. What is she thinking? Feeling? Hoping?

I am sure this'll sell wildly. 

Action Comics #1034
story by PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON, BECKY CLOONAN & MICHAEL W. CONRAD
art by DANIEL SAMPERE, MICHAEL AVON OEMING
cover by: DANIEL SAMPERE
card stock variant by : JULIAN TOTINO TEDESCO

The Warzoons make their way to the doorstep of the Fortress of Solitude and only Lois Lane and the alien girl Thao-La are there to defend it. That's because Superman is halfway around the world trying to stop the U.S. from declaring war on Atlantis. The Man of Steel must make a tough choice, and odds are, no one walks away happy. Elsewhere in Metropolis, Midnighter moves closer to the center of Trojan's empire in the penultimate chapter of his back-up adventure. The story finishes later this month with the Midnighter 2021 Annual.

I have definitely liked the last couple of issues in Action Comics and this solicit sounds intriguing as well. Even the name of Thao-La sounds sort of Kryptonian. Hmmm.

And I like that Lois isn't being lost in the shuffle.

Also, that chunk of Source Wall is going to be in the middle of this Atlantis storyline. 

Superman Son of Kal-El #2
story by TOM TAYLOR
pencils by JOHN TIMMS
cover by JOHN TIMMS
card stock variant by INHYUK LEE
Suicide Squad Movie card stock variant by SAMI BASRI

Jonathan Kent now dons his father's cape, but can he be Superman and still have a normal life? It's tough in this modern world. Danger is everywhere. The new Superman learns this the hard way on his first day of college, and a deadly attack forces Jon to step from the shadows and into the spotlight—where his identity is exposed to the Truth, an activist news machine ready to upset everything.
But first, the son still has some things to learn from his father—and a few cool toys to inherit. Ask yourself, what would you do with your very own Fortress of Solitude? This all-new chapter in the legacy of Man of Steel has only just begun to reveal its surprises!

There is something about that cover that reminds me of one of the John Cassaday 'Grounded' covers. 

I wonder if this will sort of be a sort of Spider-Man book with Jon coming to grips with his superhero activity while trying to live a 'normal' life. 

I hope Superman returns to this title at some point. But I trust Taylor and Timms to give me a good story.

Batman Superman #21
story by GENE LUEN YANG
pencils by IVAN REIS
inks by DANNY MIKI
cover by RODOLFO MIGLIARI
variant cover by KAARE ANDREWS

The dimension-shattering Archive of Worlds saga ends here—and reverberations from this titanic tale last long after the dust settles! As the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel work to halt the villainous Auteur.io's plan here on Earth-0, the Batman and Superman of their respective archive worlds must team up with Alanna of Rann and El Diablo himself to save what's left of their homes. Etrigan and his demon hordes rain Armageddon down on their pocket universes—and the fate of the World of Tomorrow and the World of the Knight hang in the balance!

I have enjoyed the Auteur.io storyline so far so knowing we'll see a couple of new worlds makes me glad. An Etrigan world? Cool. 

So far writer Gene Luen Yang and artist Ivan Reis are really making me smile.

Batman Superman 2021 Annual #1
story by: GENE LUEN YANG
art by: PAUL PELLETIER (Superman Side), FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA (Batman Side)
Connected Flip Covers by BRYAN HITCH
Connected Flip Variant Covers by FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA

The epic epilogue to the Archive of Worlds saga! In his pursuit of perfection, the godlike Auteur.io sought to create and destroy worlds with the wave of a hand and a flair for the dramatic. But against all odds...the World of the Knight and the World of Tomorrow live on! The Batman of the noir-tinged streets of Gotham City finds himself stranded in the sunny, retro-futurist World of Tomorrow—and Superman discovers himself in the opposite predicament. With their home worlds in decay and only one chance to save them, the key to preserving their very existence is but the flip of a coin. Or the flip of this book!
This special flip book is two times the story, with one full comic on one side and one full comic on the other, meeting in the middle! Follow Superman's journey on one side of this epic flip book annual, and turn the adventure over to crusade with the Batman and his trusty sidekick, Robin!

Boy Gene Luen Yang loves his gimmick books. He had a couple in the Terrifics book. So why not a flip book. 

Since we know have this Omniverse, why not keep the two cool Elseworlds from the Auteur story alone. 

I don't know if I need such odd ways of telling a story. But maybe it'll be good fun.

Challenge of the Super Sons #5
story by PETER J. TOMASI
art by MAX RAYNOR AND EVAN STANLEY
cover by SIMONE DI MEO
variant by JAMAL CAMPBELL

Hey, Aquaman, what's kraken? As the guardian of the deep finds himself in the clutches of a gigantic underwater baddie courtesy of the deadly Doom Scroll prophecy, the Super Sons stand ready to assist! Then, picking up where the story left off earlier in the series, Superboy and Robin have been rescued from the clutches of some truly wicked spells by their new ally, Rora. As Rora rushes to help the boys return to the present, their pursuers close in and prepare to attack—and Vandal Savage and Felix Faust are one deadly duo who mean business!

I wonder if this is going to be a book which alternates 'current' time with the Doom Scroll, and 'past' time with the boys working with young Rora.

I have loved this series. I like Max Raynor on art.

And how are the boys going to save Aquaman underwater without tipping him off?

Checkmate #3
story by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
art and cover by ALEX MALEEV
variant Cover by MATT TAYLOR

All-new story! As the super-spies try to keep Leviathan from getting its hands on the Heroes Network, Lois Lane does her best to get to the bottom of the new truths in front of her. Meanwhile, her husband—the Man of Steel—has had just about enough of Leviathan. That's right, finally! The man behind the rise of Leviathan, Mark Shaw, and Superman clash! Plus: Who is Mr. King really? Guest-starring Robin and Talia al Ghul! And Superman.

This makes me happy!

I wasn't sure if we would get a rematch of Superman vs. Leviathan. So I am glad we are getting this fight.

And I wasn't sure if Talia Al Ghul would be in this book. I am thrilled she is here. She probably feels quite vengeful over Shaw claiming the Leviathan cult for his own.

Justice League #66
story by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS, RAM V
art by PHIL HESTER, SUMIT KUMAR
cover by DAVID MARQUEZ
card stock variant by ALEXANDER LOZANO

The Hall of Justice has been invaded by the cosmic threat of the Synmar Utopica, and it will take the full force of the United Planets, led by Superman, to defeat it without destroying Earth in the process. Meanwhile, the secrets of Checkmate are being whispered among the Justice League, and that spells trouble for Green Arrow and Black Canary. All this, and guest star Deathstroke!
Meanwhile in Gotham, Batman stands watch as the Eternal Knight continues her quest through the maze of Randir Singh's mind. And she's not the only one lost within it! But where is the Justice League Dark in all of this? Under the sea in the lost city of Atlantis! Merlin is ready to rule, and it's up to Aquaman and this band of magical misfits to save the entire kingdom!

I never quite understood Synmar Utopica's motives in the Superman book. So I am a little torn seeing him coming back. He is an equal of Superman and so a threat. But why come to Earth?

And some Checkmate in here too? Excellent.

Justice League #67
story by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS, RAM V
art by PHIL HESTER, SUMIT KUMAR
cover by DAVID MARQUEZ
card stock variant by ALEXANDER LOZANO

It's the Justice League versus the United Order as the truth that gives power to this new cosmic super team crosses a line that the Justice League cannot allow. Will there even be a United Planets after this thunderous clash of intergalactic superpowers? Also, Green Arrow must come to terms with his responsibilities to both Checkmate and the League. Ollie may have to pick which path to follow, but what does it mean for the future of the League if the guy paying the bills has to bail? 

The Silent School used their magic for years to protect Atlantis from all kinds of invaders, but nothing prepared them for the most powerful sorcerer ever…Merlin! Luckily, the Justice League Dark arrives to turn the tide of the battle. However, they're not fighting at full strength. Zatanna is harboring a dark secret, and if she unleashes her magic, it could drown everyone!

Will Green Arrow keep his place in the League? Or lead Checkmate? I like how Ollie is getting into positions of power in the DCU. 

Looking forward to Leviathan being a threat who impacts all the DCU.

Superman Red and Blue #6
story by TOM KING, MATT WAGNER, SOPHIE CAMPBELL, REX OGLE, AND DARCIE LITTLE BADGER
art by PAOLOE RIVERA, MATT WAGNER, SOPHIE CAMPBELL, STEVE PUGH AND MORE!
cover by EVAN "DOC" SHANER
variant by GABRIELLE DELL'OTTO
variant by KEVIN EASTMAN

It's the final issue of this free-form anthology, featuring the Metropolis Marvel in new stories, bedazzled in his signature colors. It's the only place to see Superman chasing down headlines in a classic style and taking pause to reflect on growing up on a farm in Smallville. Not to mention, the return of Streaky the Supercat by superstar cartoonist Sophie Campbell (Teenage Mutant NinjaTurtles).

You had me at Streaky!

But there is a lot of great talent in this issue including personal favorites like Wagner, Campbell, Pugh, and Shaner.

I am glad DC gave Superman a series like this. The Man of Steel needs some love.

Superman and the Authority #2
story by GRANT MORRISON
art & cover by MIKEL JANIN
variant by TREVOR HAIRSINE

Clark Kent and Manchester Black continue to put Superman's new team together, even though keeping Black in check seems like just as difficult a job as convincing the new recruits to come along. The pair hits different parts of the world looking for different types of heroes. While Midnighter, Apollo, and Natasha Irons only need to tie up some loose ends before getting on board, the Enchantress is going to be a little harder. Superman is going to have to set her free from a deadly illusion hell-bent on destroying her before she can help him save the universe.

Morrison and Janin on a Superman book is a must buy for me. I'm not a Authority person at all so this will be something of a primer.  But I love that Enchantress is going to be a villain here!

Superman and the Authority #3
story by GRANT MORRISON
art & cover by MIKEL JANIN
variant by SIMON BISLEY

Superman put the Authority back together, but why? What threat is out there that only this group can contend with? The Ultra-Humanite, of course! This fearsome foe is forming a team of his own, one designed to go fist-to-fist with the Authority. It will be their baptism in battle to prove if Superman is right that regardless of who we are, there is a hero lurking inside even the worst of us.
This penultimate issue is an important chapter in the new Superman mythos, helping to set up where Clark Kent goes next…and who he goes there with

Superman inspiring people on Warworld? Cool.

Ultra-Humanite? Cool.

But Clark Kent being a part of the plot? That really makes me very happy.

Crime Syndicate #6
written by ANDY SCHMIDT
pencils by KIERAN MCKEOWN AND BRYAN HITCH
inks by DEXTER VINES AND BRYAN HITCH
cover by HOWARD PORTER
Card stock variant cover by EVAN "DOC" SHANER US $4.99

Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's…Ultragirl? That's right, folks, Kara Zor-El of Earth-3 arrives, and it's far from a happy family reunion! Can Ultraman take his cousin down and reclaim his place as the true last survivor of Krypton? Meanwhile, on a hidden island in the Pacific, Emerald Knight must finally decide: Will he stand with the Legion of Justice? Or will he give in to the Crime Syndicate?
Don't miss out on the shocking finale that shakes Earth-3 to its core!

I have been hoping we would see a Supergirl on the Crime Syndicate world so I am happy we are getting an Ultragirl here. And maybe, just maybe, she is a good guy on this worl.

Superman ’78 #1
story by ROBERT VENDITTI
art by WILFREDO TORRES
Cover by WILFREDO TORRES
CARD STOCK OPEN ORDER Variant by EVAN "DOC" SHANER Price: US $4.99
CARD STOCK 1:25 Design Variant by WILFREDO TORRES Price: US $4.99

Fly into director Richard Donner's Superman once more in Superman '78! Written by Robert Venditti (Superman: Man of Tomorrow) and drawn by Wilfredo Torres (Batman '66), Superman '78 tells a brand-new adventure in the world of the beloved film. A bright, shining day in Metropolis is interrupted by a mysterious drone that crash-lands in the city and starts wreaking havoc. This looks like a job for Superman! But where did the metallic menace come from, what is its purpose, and who is Brainiac?

I am very excited that DC is giving us more stories set in the 'Donner verse'. And have Venditti writing is just brillant.

Superman vs Lobo #1
story by TIM SEELEY and SARAH BEATTIE
art and cover by MIRKA ANDOLFO
variant cover by SIMON BISLEY
variant cover by TONY HARRIS
1:25 variant cover by PHILIP TAN

What happens when an indomitable force meets an irritating object? That's what readers find out when Superman runs into Lobo. Think of it like a boy scout joining a biker gang. What will be worse, the damage Lobo causes on his own, or the chaos of trying to stop him? I smell a team-up, fanboys!
Numen is the most popular being in the universe, a god clogging all social channels. And he does not like competition. This means Superman and Lobo must go. Further complicating things is Dr. Flik, a scientist determined to study the last sons of Krypton and Czarnia respectively. What can she glean from the hero who lost everything as a baby and the bad, bad boy who made it all go away just for the heck of it? From writers Tim Seeley and Sarah Beattie the team behind the indie hit Money Shot and Punchline artist Mirka Andolfo comes a hilarious new superhero epic!

A Superman Black Label book? Do I need it? Do I need to read another Lobo story? 

I just don't think I am going to enjoy it so probably not getting this. 

Okay, what do you all think of the super-books? And anything else I missed.