DC Comics December 2023 Solicits

The December 2023 solicits came out last week. Here is a link to all the DC Comics solicits over on AIPT:
https://aiptcomics.com/2023/09/15/full-december-2023-dc-comics-solicitations-beast-world-busts-out/

December is an interesting month. The Titans Beast War event is here, as a mini-series and in the Titans books but not in the whole DC line. Thankfully, I thought for sure we were going to roll from Lazarus Planet to Knight Terrors to another full slate event. 

Steel and Superboy appear in a couple of books this month. Surprisingly, I don't see Jon Kent much of anywhere.

What I do see is a ton ... and I mean a TON ... of variant covers. I get that this is part of the industry now but some books, standard monthly books, have 7 covers. Seems excessive.

I thought both super-books Knight Terrors mini-series were very good building on themes already present in the main books and not a complete crossover departure. But I'll be happy to not be thinking about some mega-event for the first time since Dark Crisis.

On to the books.

ACTION COMICS #1060
Written by PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON, NICOLE MAINES, STEVE ORLANDO, and JOE CASEY
Art by EDDY BARROWS, FICO OSSIO, and DAN McDAID
Cover by STEVE BEACH
Variant covers by JIM CHEUNG and JORGE JIMENEZ
1:25 variant cover by DANIEL SAMPERE
1:50 variant cover by KAARE ANDREWS
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom variant cover by FELIPE MASSAFERA

A mistake from Superman’s past has returned, and Metropolis hangs in the balance! As the super-family is betrayed from within and stripped of their powers one by one, Superman sets out on a suicide mission into the Multiverse alongside the unlikeliest of allies: Constantine, the demon Etrigan, and—making his return to Action Comics—Bloodwynd!

Plus: During “Beast World” in Metropolis, Dreamer has a run-in with life-changing consequences, and Zod’s son begins to suspect New Kandor isn’t as peaceful as it seems in the prelude to Kneel Before Zod #1!

A mistake from the past? Zod? Someone from the Bendis run?  It seems like Otho is the most likely internal person to 'betray' the team. But I hope not. 

I like the occasional (or even rare) Superman story that leans into the supernatural. Is this Superman's first team-up with Constantine? 

The back-ups sound okay. Yes, Beast Wars is here but in a Dreamer story. That's okay.

ACTION COMICS 2023 ANNUAL #1
Written by PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON
Art by MAX RAYNOR
Cover by RAFA SANDOVAL
Variant covers by LUCIO PARRILLO and DAVE WILKINS
1:25 variant cover by SWEENEY BOO
1:50 variant cover by JON BOGDANOVE

Norah Stone’s true form has been revealed, her gateway between worlds is opened, and the invasion of Earth has begun! As the Multiverse’s two most powerful families clash above Metropolis, which legacy will Otho-Ra choose? Will the followers of Blue Earth defend their treacherous leader, or their own home? It has all led to this! Three years of Action Comics storylines culminate in this pivotal, dramatic double-sized issue!

Love this cover with a united super-family roaring into battle. We have just met Norah Stone so I don't have a guess about her world or true form. 

This sounds like a finale to a huge overall arc on the book. I hope that doesn't mean that PKJ is leaving the book. I have really loved what he has brought to Action.

SUPERMAN #9
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art by BRUNO REDONDO
Cover by JAMAL CAMPBELL
Variant covers by LEE BERMEJO and BRUNO REDONDO
1:25 variant cover by NATHAN SZERDY
1:50 variant cover by MICHAEL WALSH
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom variant cover by MIKE DEODATO JR.
Santa variant cover by MIKEL JANÍN

SUPER-ARMOR! Superman’s battle with the Chained has left him wounded in unexpected ways, but the Lex Luthor Revenge Squad is still forming! To save Metropolis, Superman has no choice but to put on a special armor built by Lex!

Featuring artwork from Eisner-Award winning Nightwing artist Bruno Redondo!

Still getting used to Lex/Superman teaming up like this. But after decades of the Superman Revenge Squad, I love the idea of a Luthor Revenge Squad. Surely he has crossed a lot of people in his time. 

I have loved the peeks into SuperCorp so the special armor may have been seen in one of the double page spreads. This comic seems very toyetic.

BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST #22
Written by MARK WAID
Art and cover by DAN MORA
Variant cover by JEROME OPEÑA
1:25 variant cover by GERALD PAREL
1:50 variant cover by TRAVIS CHAREST
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom variant cover by OLIVIER COIPEL

Trapped in the universe of Kingdom Come, the World’s Finest heroes encounter skewed versions of their friends—a team calling itself the Justice Battalion! Can Batman and Superman prevent Boy Thunder from fulfilling his destiny and becoming the bloodthirsty Magog?

I am intrigued to see where this story goes. 

Kingdom Come is vivid in my head and is a classic. But it is over 25 years old. Will this resonate with current readers? Do they know who Magog is? What that world is?

I mean, I know I am going to love this. I hope I get to see Dan Mora's take on some of the Alex Ross KC characters.

POWER GIRL #4
Written by LEAH WILLIAMS
Art by EDUARDO PANSICA and JULIO FERREIRA
Cover by GARY FRANK
Variant covers by DUSTIN NGUYEN and JAMAL CAMPBELL
1:25 variant cover by SWEENEY BOO
1:50 variant cover by SAOWEE

The origin of Symbio revealed! Will Power Girl be able to fight the dark entity who has been lurking inside her enemies? Or will she succumb to it herself? The true battle has only begun for our heroes as their artificial antagonist invites them to join it…or die!

I'll start by saying that is a great cover. I love Gary Frank!

I definitely think I'll need to go back and reread the Showcase issues of Power Girl if her AI babysitter from her trip to Earth is the bad guy. If I was worried about Kingdom Come I should be panicked about this harkening back to Showcase, a book from way back in the late 70s!! I hope Leah Williams will recap a bit as this goes along.

SUPERMAN: LOST #9
Written by CHRISTOPHER PRIEST
Art and cover by CARLO PAGULAYAN and JASON PAZ
Variant cover by LEE WEEKS
1:25 variant cover by MIKE DEODATO

As a Green Lantern from Superman’s past creates chaos in the present, Clark grapples with the idea of losing Lois for good. As her sickness rapidly escalates, Lex Luthor watches from the wings, waiting for the Man of Steel to crack under the pressure. Could karma be coming for the richest man in Metropolis?

Looks like Hope, the murderous GL from 'Kansas' makes her way to Earth. And it sounds like this issue is really looking at the returned Superman. This is the penultimate issue so I guess we have to 'catch up' to the present as much as possible. 

I don't know if I need Lex to be in the book but here we are.

SUPERMAN: THE LAST DAYS OF LEX LUTHOR #2
Written by MARK WAID
Art and cover by BRYAN HITCH
Variant cover by CHRIS SAMNEE
1:25 variant cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL

Superman continues his mission to find a cure for what’s killing Lex Luthor. When the present has no answers, maybe the future will! But will the Legion of Super-Heroes help Clark find a cure for a man like Luthor?

I was floored by the excellence of the first issue so I can't believe I need to wait this long.

Mark Waid writing the Legion again. Thank you and take my money!

SUPERMAN ’78: THE METAL CURTAIN #3
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art and cover by GAVIN GUIDRY
Variant cover by TOM REILLY
1:25 variant cover by DANNY EARLS

Superman is in bad shape after the beating he took from Metallo, but questions need answers. How did the Russians build his suit, and where did his Kryptonite come from? And when it comes to getting answers, the Man of Steel knows just who to turn to: intrepid reporter Lois Lane!

I guess we are still between Superman The Motion Picture and Superman II. 

This book takes place in the deepest freeze of the cold war. So I am excited to see what the story entails. I have the utmost trust in Robert Venditti.

KNEEL BEFORE ZOD #1
Written by JOE CASEY
Art by DAN McDAID
Cover by JASON SHAWN ALEXANDER
Variant covers by NATHAN SZERDY and BJÖRN BARENDS
1:25 variant cover by RAFAEL SARMENTO
1:50 variant cover by DAN McDAID
Special foil variant cover by ARIEL COLÓN ($5.99 US)

General Zod was Krypton’s most notorious criminal. Now he has an entire planet to rule—but what happens when the most dangerous individual in the universe gets everything he ever wanted? Obviously, he wants more— and he’ll stop at nothing to get it—in the most brutal series you’ll read this year! This is not a hero’s journey. This is a dark ride, brought to you by the sick and twisted minds of Adventures of Superman writer Joe Casey and artist Dan McDaid in his monumental main-line DC debut. For General Zod and his family, the descent into hell has just begun.

Here is the book that came out of nowhere. 

First off, I am actually glad that Zod has been out of the picture for a while. He was being overused before so he needed a cool off period.

Of course, we last left him on his own planet with wife and kid. There was a sort of Space Seed feel to this ending. So I guess it was time to revisit. But this sounds blood-soaked and over the top. Sometimes that lets the reader know the threat. But I hope we don't veer into too dark a place.

So not a bad month. Did I miss anything?