October 2015 Solicits

The solicits for DC's books for October have been released and there was one doozy of an announcement. Unfortunately, there was a surprising lack of Supergirl news including even in the books she is supposedly part of. Still that doozy of an announcement made me happy.

Here is a link for all the solicits:
http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/batman-robin-eternal-justice-league-gods-and-men-headline-dc-comics-october-2015-solicitations

On to the solicits!

SUPERMAN: LOIS and CLARK #1
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art and cover by LEE WEEKS

Following the epic events of CONVERGENCE, here are the adventures of the last sons and daughter of the Krypton and Earth as they try to survive in a world not their own. But can they keep this world from suffering the same fate as their own? Can this Superman stop the villains he once fought before they are created on this world? What is Intergang, and why does Lois’s discovery of it place everyone she loves in jeopardy? What will happen when their nine-year-old son learns the true identity of his parents? Make way for the original power couple, for better, for worse, in sickness and in health, until death do them part!

Hurrah!

I don't think I need to reiterate how Lois has been basically absent in the New 52 Superman world. There is a portion of Superman fans who have lamented this new status quo and have been looking for a place where a more classic Superman could be found. 

We saw Jurgens and Weeks give us just that in the Convergence Superman mini-series. So I am thrilled that DC decided to continue the stories of those characters. I don't know what Earth this takes place on. I don't know if there are other heroes on this place. Does the 'last sons and daughter' of Krypton mean Supergirl? Or Superman's kids? But I do know that I am going to devour this book!

This was the biggest news of the month for me.

ACTION COMICS #45
Written by GREG PAK and AARON KUDER
Art and cover by AARON KUDER

As this new epic begins, the Man of Steel’s identity as Clark Kent has been exposed. He’s been beaten and pushed to the brink in his quest to regain his powers while his enemies have gathered their forces. And now, Clark must ask himself the ultimate question: Should he even continue as Superman?
As the action begins, a new hero emerges to fight for Justice—and against Superman!

I assume that 'The Truth' is over given this is a new epic. And I like that Superman is trying to regain his powers. I don't want this depowered Superman to be the new norm.

And a new hero? Alpha Centurion? 

SUPERMAN #45
Written by GENE LUEN YANG
Art and cover by JOHN ROMITA, JR. and KLAUS JANSON

After having his secret identity exposed, Superman vowed to bring to justice anyone who hurt those close to him. But when a villain calls his bluff, how far will the Man of Steel go?

This looks like a Sin City cover.
A villain wants to hurt someone close to Superman. How far will Superman go??

I am rather sick of this sort of take on Superman.  This solicit seems to encapsulate all the things I am struggling with.

BATMAN/SUPERMAN #25

Written by GREG PAK
Art by ARDIAN SYAF and VICENTE CIFUENTES
Cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL

What impact will the revelation of Superman’s secret identity have on the rest of the heroes of the DC Universe? As Superman seeks to serve justice to the villains behind his power loss, find out who the Man of Steel’s new crimefighting partner will be!

What a beautiful cover!

But we do get a nugget of information here. There are villains behind his power loss! I hope it isn't the standard government/military complex that we have seen all too often recently. How about the Parasite? Or Mongul?

And a new crimefighting partner? Any guesses? Gangbuster?

SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #22
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art by DOUG MAHNKE and JAIME MENDOZA
Cover by CARY NORD

Following a shocking betrayal, Kal has lost faith in justice. Now, he’s embarking on a dangerous quest to restore his powers, while Wonder Woman makes unexpected allies of Lois Lane and Lana Lang.

This book has been teetering on my pull list although the last issue was something of a rally. This issue sounds interesting. But this solicit is the one that grabbed me the most.

Who has betrayed him? Jimmy? The League.

More interesting, Clark's dangerous quest to get his powers back reads like the 8 page preview where he flies to the sun and tells Diana he doesn't love her. So maybe we finally get to that story.

But Diana teaming with Lois and Lana is the hook for me. Just how is this going to play out?

Beautiful cover too.

And then the books Supergirl is supposed to be in ...

JUSTICE LEAGUE 3001 #5
Written by KEITH GIFFEN and J.M. DeMATTEIS
Art and cover by HOWARD PORTER

There’s a new Batman in town—and the real Batman takes it upon himself to seek this imposter out. Plus, a new threat approaches our galaxy. Will the Justice League be prepared for it?

She starred on the cover of #2 but I don't think she has been mentioned in the solicits since.

At least on Twitter, JM DeMatteis confirmed she will still be part of the book!

DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS #3
Written by MARGUERITE BENNETT
Art by MARGUERITE SAUVAGE and LAURA BRAGA
Cover by ANT LUCIA

A dark ritual is performed in a German cabaret, and a supernatural servant is brought forth to serve the Reich— has Zatanna been manipulated by The Joker’s Daughter? Plus, Batwoman leaves Gotham City, and Amanda Waller introduces her to an unearthly ally. And Wonder Woman gets into combat as she joins Mera on the European war front.

Last issue's solicit revealed that Supergirl is part of the Soviet Union in the WWII time period. No mention of her here but we are most likely still unveiling the entire cast. Lovely cover by Ant Lucia on this book.


And then a surprise!

SUPERMAN ADVENTURES VOL. 1 TP
Written by PAUL DINI and SCOTT McCLOUD
Art by RICK BURCHETT, BRET BLEVINS, MIKE MANLEY and TERRY AUSTIN
Cover by BRUCE TIMM

In these all-ages tales from SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #1-10, the Man of Steel must convince the citizens of Metropolis that he really is a force for good when Lex Luthor unleashes a terrifying robot look-alike on the city. Plus, Superman faces off with Metallo, Brainiac, Live Wire, Mr. Mxyzptlk, General Zod, and more!

 
I might have to get this trade both for me and as holiday gifts for a bunch of people. So happy to see these stories collected! If you are looking to introduce a younger reader to the Superman mythos, you should grab this!

Any thoughts??

Sales Review: June 2015

I thought for sure that this was going to be the  first sales review I have done on this blog where I wasn't going to cover a book with Supergirl in it.

I suppose I should consider that a victory. I have gone seven years reviewing Supergirl sales without taking a break. But the new DCYou doesn't have a Supergirl title. The only time we hear of Supergirl is when we hear she 'bolted' from the Justice League United. The only time we see her, some version of her, on the last page of the JL3001 book.

In fact, I find it both normal and strange that she hasn't been mentioned at all in the Superman books. Superman is revealed and depowered. You would think he would contact his family. But in the DCYou, heck in the New 52, Superman and Supergirl have never been super-close.

I don't understand why Supergirl seems to be a forbidden subject.

The sales review, as always, is in my opinion best reviewed over on ICv2. Here is the link:
http://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/31972/top-300-comics-actual-june-2015

Now June was the first issue of The Truth, the new take on Superman, with a new writer Gene Luen Yang. It had a huge publicity push. It was going to shake up all of Superman's mythos. It was going to make everything about Superman 'better' and 'more interesting'!

But how its first issue, Superman #41, sell?

We can talk all about how 53K in sales in a great book in the current comic market. That this is a highly successful release.

But let's be honest.

This was a new plotline of Superman, resetting the landscape of DC's premier character. It was trumpeted. It was supposed to be a fresh, innovative take.

And it only sold 53K.

I have to wonder if DC thought this would do better.

I had no thoughts at all of getting Justice League 3001 #1 when it was announced. Heck, I didn't get Justice League 3000. I have been a bit burned recently with both Keith Giffen and J.M. Dematteis so the writers didn't grab me. And while I like Howard Porter's art, I wasn't sure if that was enough.

Surprisingly, folks I trust were telling me that JL3K was a decent read with some insanity and continuity and nods to odd corners of DC lore. That the tone is a bit inane but not a forced non-humor which sometimes I feel Giffen books suffer from.

Then I heard that Supergirl was going to be in the book.

And so all the nudges from friends and the Howard Porter art and the only Supergirl in the current DCU made me grab it.

I am relatively sure that the first iteration, Justice League 3000, sold less than 20K.

This issue sold 32K, a better start than I would have thought. Maybe it was the #1? Maybe it was the variant cover?

I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be on board. And, in fact, I liked it enough that I am looking for the older title's back issues. So that is a win.

Now why do I show Lobo #7?

It isn't to comment on the quality of the book. I will freely admit I haven't read this book.

Well, Lobo was selling pretty poorly before the Convergence event. I couldn't believe that somehow it survived the axe when DC was cancelling books and starting up new titles. And I especially didn't understand it when Supergirl got canceled despite selling many more issues than Lobo.

The trend continues. Lobo #7 sold 19K.

In the grand scheme of things, DC got completely squelched by Marvel this month, something so consistent that it is no longer news.

August 2015 Solicits

The concept of DCYou rather than a DCU has hit the public with DC trying to show that it offers more than just the hard core, glum super-hero books that have dominated its solicits over the last 3 years. DCYou means you get to decide the sort of books you want to read. There will be different styles and tones.

The August solicits for DCYou came out this week and are available many places including Newsarama here:http://www.newsarama.com/24576-dc-comics-full-august-2015-solicitations.html

Now this soft reboot of the comic line is hard to gauge right now. We haven't experienced it yet! Some new books look interesting enough to grab immediately: Bizarro, Starfire, Black Canary, and Green Arrow with its new team all seem like books for me.

Of note, no Supergirl book here. And no Supergirl in JLU.

Here are the super-ish books of the month.

DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS #1
Written by MARGUERITE BENNETT
Art by MARGUERITE SAUVAGE
Cover by ANT LUCIA
1:25 Variant cover by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO

The ultra-popular statues from DC Collectibles come to life in their own ongoing comic book series! Learn the story behind this alternate reality where the Second World War is fought by superpowered women on the front lines and behind the scenes! It all begins with the stories of Batwoman, Wonder Woman and Supergirl.

I covered this announcement last week. I love some of these designs. I love the idea of heroes active in WWII. And that creative team is perfect. I cringe just a bit at that Supergirl outfit but at least she is active here.

ACTION COMICS #43
Written by GREG PAK and AARON KUDER
Art and cover by AARON KUDER

"Truth" continues as Superman defies the Metropolis police and faces a new threat from the shadows!

Remember when Superman was an inspiration for others, a symbol of hope and good? Remember when he wanted truth and justice? Fought a never-ending battle?

Now he is defying cops.

Will 'Truth' be worth it?

SUPERMAN #43
Written by GENE LUEN YANG
Art and cover by JOHN ROMITA, Jr. and KLAUS JANSON
Bombshells Variant cover by DES TAYLOR

Before “Truth”: Superman’s very existence is threatened, and Lois Lane must make the toughest choice of her life!

I guess that 'Before "Truth"' makes this a prequel issue or flashback issue. Will this be the in depth look at Lois' decision to reveal Clark's identity? And will it make it sense for her, and him, and the continuity?

The treatment of Lois in the New 52 has been shabby and uneven. I don't know that this decision will make things better.

BATMAN/SUPERMAN #23
Written by GREG PAK
Art and cover by ARDIAN SYAF and VICENTE CIFUENTES
Bombshells Variant cover by DES TAYLOR

“Truth” continues as Superman must learn to depend on the new Batman’s help—but can he trust him?

I am trying to suppress my eye roll when I read something about Superman and Batman not trusting each other. Is this even a story now? Or the new norm?

It is a shame because Pak was actually making the Bruce Batman and Clark Superman act like friends in this book prior to the shift.

Ah well, guess we'll have to see how this plays out as well.

SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #20
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art by DOUG MAHNKE and JAIME MENDOZA
Cover by PAULO SIQUEIRA
Bombshells Variant cover by TERRY DODSON
"Truth" continues -- and as Superman and Wonder Woman deal with the ramifications of his secret identity being blown, they dig deeper into the disappearance of Lana Lang and Steel, which force them to team up with an unexpected and dangerous nemesis.

I fear that I am going to be sucked back into buying this book because of 'Truth' as well as Lana being part of the storyline. I was a big fan of Lana when first reintroduced in the Pak/Kuder book. I soured a bit during the Smallville horror story but she turned things around. 

I hope Tomasi does her right.

JUSTICE LEAGUE 3001 #3
Written by KEITH GIFFEN and J.M. DeMATTEIS
Art and cover by HOWARD PORTER
1:25 Variant cover by HOWARD PORTER

It’s the Super-Buddies versus Giant Turtle Olsen starring in...Who the hell cares what it’s called? It’s Giant Turtle Olsen! You are so welcome. Oh, and the Justice League will show up too. I mean, it being their book and all…And hey, did we mention Giant Turtle Olsen?

Supergirl has been conspicuously absent in the DC books. Last month, a rather Silver Age Supergirl was featured on the cover of JL 3001. I reluctantly added the book to my pull list.

Now this month, no mention and no sight of Supergirl in the book's solicit. Over on Twitter though, artist Howard Porter confirmed she is in the book.

Which Supergirl is in the book? Is this a riff on Silver Age Superman given the Giant Turtle Olsen? So is it the Silver Age Kara? Is this another attempt at a Giffen 'funny' title?

This month hasn't exactly made me want to run to the store. I don't know if I am optimistic about any of these books. Even Bombshells is an unknown commodity.

DC COMICS SUPER-PETS! DEX-STARR AND STREAKY PLUSH FIGURES

How do you like your Super-Pets: sweet – or vicious? You can take your pick with these new, fun plush figures of Red Lantern Atrocitus’s furball Dex-Starr and Supergirl’s faithful pet Streaky the Super-Cat! Better yet, why not get both?

1. DEX-STARR – 9"

2. STREAKY – 9"

At least I got this!

I don't know if I can justify buying this for myself or any of my Supergirls as they are a little too old for stuffed animals. Maybe ...

But still .. Streaky!!