Review: Blue Beetle #13

One of the books which I feel was underappreciated and ultimately cancelled was Justice League 3001. A wonderful stew of action, humor, with multiple universe interpretations mashed into one wild world, and crazy new versions of classic comic characters, JL3001 was great. J.M. DeMatteis, Keith Giffen, Howard Porter, and Scott Kolins brought us an entertaining and electric romp of a book.

Moreover, it gave us a very interesting Supergirl, a Silver Age-y Kara who was thrust into a universal war and a leadership role in this League.

When the plug was pulled, the 3001 Flash and Batman were pushed back into the present day and were made part of the supporting cast of Blue Beetle.

I admit I didn't buy Beetle regularly, but last month we saw the League in a flashback panel. The Flash and Batman recognized they needed to get back to their time and help their team in the fight against Lady Styx.

Last week, Blue Beetle #13 came out which truly featured the JL3001 team, even promoting it on the cover dress.

This is the last issue for this Beetle creative team of J.M. DeMatteis, Keith Giffen, and Scott Kolins. Maybe realizing this might be their last chance to visit the 3001 universe, this book reads more like JL3001 and less like a Blue Beetle book. That made me happy. There isn't much closure here. The future of the 3001 universe is still up in the air.

DeMatteis and Giffen do make a solid connection between this book and the primary villain of the 3001 universe. And Kolins brings his usual gritty, rough energy to the fight.

But mostly, it was great to see this League one more time. I have missed reading their adventures monthly.

Sales Review: May 2016

The sales for May have been released and, as always, I use ICv2 to review the numbers. Here is that link:
http://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/34698/top-300-comics-actual-may-2016

The last week of May saw DC finally release #Rebirth. It may not be a reboot. It certainly was a bargain at 80 pages for $2.99. And it did hit on a lot of the problems with DC over the last few years. But this was also the lame duck month for DC. The real #Rebirth is happening now as the specials are being released, new titles are appearing, and older titles are getting bold new directions.

As such, it is not surprising that Marvel continued to dominate the scene in May. DC was running on fumes until the Rebirth Special hopefully filled up the creative tank again.

As I said, the DC Universe Rebirth Special was the high point of the month.

Whether you agree with the idea of the Watchmen being part of the current DCU, or part of the creative problem, the book was something of a godsend for someone like me who has bemoaned the overly dark tone of the entire DCU.

Seeing Wally back, seeing Aquaman propose to Mera, seeing all of it worked.

It seemed to capture the imagination of the comic public as well. It sold over 250K.

Basically this was a one-shot that declared a collective 'do over' for the DCU. I'm glad it sold well.

The Superman books will be pretty heavily effected by change post-Rebirth as well.

The New 52 Superman is dead. The old pre-Flashpoint Superman is now the Superman of the DCU. Supergirl is back in action. Lois has powers. A new Superman is working in China.

All of these changes came together in the final pre-Rebirth arc 'The Final Days of Superman'. I was pretty impressed with the story as it seemed to capture what Superman should be.

It sold pretty well and that makes me happy. I wonder if word was getting out that we were finally moving away from the grim, gritty, aloof, angry, occasionally creepy Superman in prior New 52 stories. Maybe this is a sign that old Superman readers are coming back.

Superman #52 sold 54K. Action Comics #52 sold over 40K. Both those numbers are better than prior months.

Supergirl fans who don't read digitally finally got a book on the shelves.

The digital first Adventures of Supergirl, written by Sterling Gates with art by a rotating group, was put into print form. These issues are coming out every two weeks. That means we saw the orders for Adventures of Supergirl #1 and AoSG #2.

I have really enjoyed this book as Gates has written a long form story which bolsters the television show while also recognizing Supergirl history.

The first issue sold over 16K which I think is decent for a digital first book.

The second issues numbers were far less at 11K. I wonder if retailers responded to how well the first issue actual sold.

And it would be nice if digital numbers were known.

Finally, last month was the final issue of the other Supergirl book on the shelves, Justice League 3001.

JL3001 was a weird, wild, fun book that was sadly overlooked. I suppose continuity-loose stories set in a possible future with no impact on the current timeline will always be a hard sell.

Taking it's last breath, Justice League 3001 #12 sold just over 11K.

It is a book and a Supergirl that I'll miss reading each month.

Review: Justice League 3001 #12

It is the end of a brief era.

The New 52 chapter of the DC Universe is coming to a close. There is a #Rebirth. There is a scrubbing away of the angst, hate, and dismal nature of the characters. There is a return to a more classic feel, leaning on legacy.

But such a change cannot happen with casualties. And Justice League 3001 has always been a fringe book. With sales dropping and a continuity shift happening, I'm not surprised that the book is ending. But I come to praise this book, not bury it.

Justice League 3001 #12 came out last week and was the final issue of this title. But I have to tell you, it didn't read like a final issue. And that pained me. Because I needed some closure for these characters who I have followed for 2 titles now. Writers Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis have had so many plot lines bubbling through this title while they played with all of DC continuities.  I wouldn't have minded the book closing in an open-ended way with a chance for more. But this book ends mid-battle ...

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. This title has broken all the rules. Why not how to end?

The art is split between Collen Doran who brings a smooth sensibility to her pages. Tim Green II also provides pages here. He recently did the Convergence:Matrix mini-series. His art is very stylized, every character gangly and stretched like taffy. And yet, it works.

But the bottom line is this title is ending. The candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long. And this book has burned so very brightly.

Review: Justice League 3001 #11

You can't have a Rebirth without some death I suppose.

And unfortunately Justice League 3001 has been cancelled. This doesn't really surprise me given the sales result. But it does sadden me. This book (and its predecessor JL3000) was a nice melange of all the crazy corners of the DCU.

Justice League 3001 #11 came out last week and is the penultimate issue of the series. Writers Keith Giffen and JM DeMatteis are unfortunately faced with something of an impossible task. They have to try to wrap up this pretty complex, multi-layered comic in 40 pages. And as a result, this issue felt somewhat rushed. There are a lot of questions that I am hoping will be answered. There are a lot of questions I think won't be answered. And there is a ton of backstory, explaining everything about this universe and these characters, that I don't think I will ever get. And that is a shame.

Scott Kolins does an admirable job on the art bringing the grime of this flawed future. I also like the design of the heroes here as well as the corrupted Legion and the other aliens. Kolins' look definitely fits the title perfectly.

I promise not to curse the darkness here. I got 2+ years over two titles to read these characters. That's a light I should celebrate. On to the issue.

Sales Review: March 2016

#Rebirth is right around the corner so DC has been trying their best to wrap things up on some titles and tee things up on others. So March, April, and May will be interesting months to watch form a sales point of view. Will people jump off the 'lame duck' months? Will people jump on when the stories will 'matter'?

Well the first month of this trifecta is in the books and ICv2 covered sales in their usual excellent way. Here is a link to last month's top 300 books:
http://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/34194/top-300-comics-actual-march-2016

Amazingly, DC improved in sales this month after what has to be considered a horrible couple of years for them overall. And, surprisingly, a Superman book did well.

Superman #50 was the end of the over-bloated, 'oh so serious', 'this isn't your father's Superman ... heck it isn't your Superman' arc called The Truth. Gene Luen Tang had come on board with a Superman story that was supposed to forever change the dynamic of the Man of Steel, a dynamic that his longtime fans actually liked. And, given that #Rebirth is happening, it looks like it didn't change things forever, or for even a little bit.

I was glad to see this direction fade away.

So I was flabberghasted to see that Superman #50 was the 4th best selling title last month, selling 91K.

I don't recall their being any super-exclusive variant covers that may have driven up store purchases. So could stores have ordered that many thinking the end of the story might draw twice as many readers? Or that the impending #Rebirth might get people intrigued?

Anyways, we are moving on. And that is the truth.

As for the Supergirl books that were out, sales held steady.

DC Bombshells continues to delight me as a reader. I wish I could know the sales digitally for this book. That might add some information.

It seems like this book will finish when #Rebirth comes around. And that is a shame. I'd love to read more about these characters.

It is relatively healthy in sales, coming in just under 20K. That has to be considered a success for a digital first book based on a merchandise line and not in the main continuity.

Thanks to Marguerite Bennett and all the artists for this book.

Justice League 3001 is definitely living on borrowed time. It isn't on the #Rebirth slate. It is struggling in sales. But it stars a great supergirl and is a great melange of all sorts of DC continuities. This book has been another delight for me. I would have missed it if Supergirl hadn't come on board. So glad I got it.

The book has hovered around the 12K mark on sales for a while. This book reminds me of the REBELS book from a few years ago. The people who like it tend to love it. It is a loyal audience. But it just isn't large enough for a DC book.

We have a couple more issues. Everyone should be reading this.

I can't wait to see the sales figures with #Rebirth.

Review: Justice League 3001 #10

Justice League 3001 #10 came out last week and, as we are nearing the end of this book, the plots are sort of rushing to the end. Amazingly, the creative team continues to add elements to this book despite knowing that the finale is only a couple of months away.

Writers Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis have been playing in the DC toybox, picking and choosing who they want to write regardless of continuity. The result has been a weird, wild book which has been incredibly entertaining. So imperfect clones of classic JLA, a Silver Age Supergirl, a Bwa-Ha-Ha JLI contingent are all fighting universal threats and an evil Legion of Super-Heroes. In this issue, despite a full cast of characters, they add a couple more. Now G'Nort and Larfleeze are in the mix! I would love to know how the two decided who was going to come into the book.

The art for the last few issues has been split between Scott Kolins and Colleen Doran. Both bring an appropriate sensibility to their stories. Kolins has a grimy, raw feel to his pages which works well with the League scouring planets which have been leveled. Meanwhile, Doran brings a more polished look to her story involving Lois Lane and Ariel Masters trying to defeat Lady Styx from behind the scenes.

Review: Justice League 3001 #9

Justice League 3001 #9 was released this week and this book continues to be wonderfully creative and entertaining. It is somewhat depressing that I am looking ahead already at #12, the last issue.

Because JL 3001 is sort of an omelet of a book and I love omelets. The best omelet have a number of wonderful ingredients which together brings a fantastic and flavorful taste. But an omelet needs eggs to hold all those ingredients together. And you can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs.

This title has brought together some of the best ingredients ... ummm, elements ... from DC continuity. We have Bwa-Ha-Ha era Leaguers. We have a Silver Age Supergirl. We have had Etrigan, Camelot 3000, and now a twisted Legion of Super-Heroes. We have seen some broken eggs ... umm, some reimagined big name characters , warped to fit them into this dingy future. The big 6 have been brought back as flawed copies, allowing the creators to look at these characters fondly, comedically, and critically. And I guess in this analogy, the eggs that hold all these disparate elements together are the creative team of Keith Giffen, JM DeMatteis, Howard Porter, Scott Kolins, and Colleen Doran.

This issue pushes the latest (I guess last) arc forward. It feels a little like a classic League story with the team splitting up to fight on multiple fronts. But we also have some strong character moments as well. We have seen the members of this team evolve over time.

The art on the issue is split between Scott Kolins and Colleen Doran. Kolins section is wonderfully gritty, showing how the universe is a grimy crumbling place now. His villains are monstrous. Whether it is Eclipso's hand-feet or the faceless Saturn Girl, these guys are frightening. Doran's section has a great conversation between enemies turned friends. Doran still is able to infuse action and emotion into what is effectively just pages of people talking.

This is a long introduction so I apologize. But I only have a few more of these intros to write.

Sales Review January 2016

Are you a DC fan? Do you want to be depressed? Do you want hard data to prove the sinking feeling you have about our favorite heroes? Well head to ICv2 and see their coverage of January's sales:
http://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/33653/top-300-comics-actual-january-2016

DC had about half of Marvel's sales.

They have 2 books in the top 25, one of which is Batman/TMNT.

And Rebirth is right around the corner, resetting a universe that right now seems lost.

And sales bear all that out.

Superman #48 started the fast-paced rush to end The Truth.
It was a crazy issue.
It made no sense in the context of all The Truth stories we have read before.
It had great art by Howard Porter.

It sold just under 38,000 books.

The flagship character is mired in the low 40s in sales.

And Action Comics is even worse, selling just above 30K.

The Superman books are a mess.

Justice League 3001 #8, the bold new direction issue showcasing an all-female League led by Supergirl, came out last month.

This title is a fun mishmash of continuities. It is smart. But it is clearly a niche book. And a company drowning in their own failures probably can't support niche books.

This book sold about 13K.
Those are worrisome numbers.
There was no bump from the new direction. The new direction was barely covered.
Rebirth was the death knell for this book. It will be missed.

I should stop doing these posts.

They depress me.

I am sure that Rebirth will fix everything!!!!

Review: Justice League 3001 #8

Justice League 3001 #8 came out this week with an issue titled 'A New Beginning'. Anyone who has read this blog for a while will know that I am a sucker for 'bold new directions' and will most likely pick up a book where that is splashed on the cover.

This issue is a new beginning for this book. The team is different. Suddenly we have an all female team, united against a new threat. I almost feel, for better or for worse, that we will be putting a bunch of the mysteries of the early issues behind us, maybe never to address again. I am going to miss Beetle, Booster, and Turtle Jimmy Olsen. Will we see the vengeful Lois Lane/Ariel plot finished? Will we see her Injustice League with Bane and the others?

But this is book where I am introduced to Lady Styx, a new villain who is mysterious and intriguing. And Giffen and DeMatteis are sliding some Legion of Super-Heroes into the book! As one of their fandom, I have been  clamoring for any sight of them.

For me, most importantly, I get to see Supergirl leading an incognito League against a universal threat is great. And since her introduction in the book, Giffen and DeMatteis have thrust her into a role of leader, even if she is still a youngish Kara. Seeing her come to terms with this, seeing her 'replacing' Superman (a theme which has been part of her character since 1959) is wonderful.

Scott Kolins is on art and brings a sort of grungy dystopian sensibility to the book. He also redesigned some of the costumes the heroes are now wearing. I love Supergirl's new look which has a feel of the 70s Adventure Comics look, but includes red shoulders like the Crisis-era Kara. And the cape, a giant S-shield, is pretty cool.

On to the story.

Last issue the Scullions swarmed throughout the universe, taking over the universe in the name of Lady Styx. Only some of the heroes escaped. And now the League is basically on the run.

Six months have passed since that last issue and we see how the members of the League are all living incognito on Takron Galtos, biding their time until they can strike. Diana is a welder on a construction crew (shades of the Bombshell 'Rosie the Riveter'?). The Flash is still suffering from PTSD. Ice and Fire are living together, using passwords to ensure safety.

And Kara is living alone, wondering how it all happened. Styx had been infiltrating planets all along and simply took over. That second panel, a small Kara, small, alone, framed in a box in a box. You just get the sense of how imprisoned she feels, how claustrophobic this life must be.

Each member does have a transversal which allows them to head to their 'headquarters', a demolished Paradise island, the temples and columns in ruins and overgrown.

In this sequence, Giffen and DeMatteis give us a quick rundown of how all the members feel. It is like a rapid fire character check to set the stage for how they all feel 6 months into this secrecy. It is clear this team is still a bit in disarray and hardly a Justice League united.

Diana is impatient and wants to rush in and fight. Fire agrees. Ice wants to do what's smart. And Guy, whose personality is slowly being erased by his host body's DNA/personality, thinks planning is important. Is that Guy or Shirylalla that is the voice of reason?

But there is Kara at the end, arms folded, taking charge and saying that they need to wait. Even in this sequence, it is clear Supergirl is the leader here. She is the last to talk. Her panel is bigger, implying she is bigger. So much information given in the page layout.

 There is one other member, Batman, who is the most impetuous of the group. She is off  trying to destroy the indestructible Scullions. Supergirl needs to teleport in and get Batman out before things go south. I like the mecha-look here.

But what I like is that, of all characters, it is the Batman character who is the most hot-headed, the most like to rush in blindly, the one who doesn't want to plan. It is the concept of Batman flipped on its head, a nice addition to a book like this.

 Remember Batman is actually Tina, a school age girl and descendant of Bruce Wayne. She's brilliant and hot-headed. I guess it makes her more of a Damian character which is reinforced in my mind when we see her dressed in Robin garb.

Diana and Teri have to tell Tina to slow down. That rushing into battle is foolish. Diana has to begrudgingly  agree that Kara is right.

I do feel bad for Teri who is still suffering from PTSD, decompensating whenever she sees Scullions or is reminded of Clark's death.

We do see that the headquarters isn't completely safe. Someone is skulking in the shadows, watching the team. Who could that be? Guesses at the end.

 The team is splintered even further. Fire and Ice feel like a separate faction within the team. They feel like outsiders and Ice wonders if they should just leave. These two were part of the 'Bwa-ha-ha' League as was Guy.

So it made sense to me that Guy approaches the two and says he needs them and will be part of their subgroup. It is only the memory of Ice which seems to be stemming the personality re-write, reminding him that he is Guy. I think that is a nice touch. This isn't the headstrong Guy. He is scared of disappearing.

One quibble here. Fire talks about Guy striking Tora a few days earlier. Now we did see Guy slap Tora last issue but isn't that 6 months ago? Unless Guy is a serial slapper, it shouldn't be so recent.

I have commented how it was implied that Supergirl is the leader here. We are told she is the leader later in the issue. And I love the characterization here.

First off, I like the fact she keeps the pictures of the dead Leaguers on the wall, a reminder of what she has lost.

She also is worried that she isn't ready for this leadership role. She can see that the team is looking to her for guidance and she worries she won't be up for the challenge. This feels like a classic Kara who is striving to be the best she can be, is ready to step in for Superman, but is still growing and maybe a little unsure of herself.

But she won't back down from this responsibility. Fists clenched, she is determined, showing that fierceness of character I love in her.

Love this new Supergirl costume. The red shoulders harken back to her Crisis-era costume. But the reversed yellow/red of the s-shield with the high collar and knee-high boots is groovy. As is this cape.

Kudos to Scott Kolins for the design.

We finally get to meet the lead villain, Lady Styx.

In flashbacks, we see her simply announce that she is taking over the galaxy. Her army has been in place for some time. Her ascension to power is simply 'the period at the end of a sentence'. Love that line.

Styx is on Naltor (Dream Girl's home planet) and has a drone version of Saturn Girl go and fetch Terrance, Teri's brain damaged brother who was a key character in JL3000. There are odd acolytes in front of her. One could be Wildfire or Timber Wolf. Are Giffen and DeMatteis slipping the actual Legion into this book? Why not? So many continuities have been woven into this book. I miss the Legion. I really don't want them to be evil.

So that makes me wonder if the shadowy figure could be a 'good' Legionnaire. Shadow Lass? Cham? In the end, I think my guess is that it is Ariel/Lois. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

As for Styx, she is a wild character. There is some Kirby Thor elements here. My first thoughts were she reminded me of Karnilla or Hela. But then I wondered if there was some Gemworld in here. And given the Legion element and this being Naltor, could she be an evil White Witch??

Styx needs Terrance to help find and defeat the League because the presence of Supergirl and Tina/Batman wasn't anticipated. I still think this is some nexus of intersecting realities given the multiple continuities seen. Maybe a pre-Crisis Silver Age Supergirl wasn't anticipated in this future?

Whew! This is what a bold new direction is supposed to be, keeping the foundation of a book but shaking it up. We have a new universal threat, infused with Legion of Super-heroes elements (hurrah!). We have an unsteady team, hiding away, and being led by a young Supergirl. And we have versions of classic characters tossed into the mix of a dystopia. It all works.

So if you are looking for a jumping on point, a place to swim in the deep end of DC mythology, this is the issue for you.

Overall grade: A

April 2016 Solicits

The DC Comics solicits for April came out this week and there were a few welcome surprises. Here is a link to the complete list over on Comic Book Resources:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/justice-league-turns-50-harley-quinns-presence-grows-dc-comics-april-2016-solicitations

The big news for me was that the main universe Supergirl is finally mentioned. We haven't heard from her since the last issue of her solo title. More on this when we hit the appropriate solicit.

And it is clear that DC finally realizes that the Supergirl show is a hit and they should try to cash in on her surge in popularity. The choices they are making are mixed in my mind. But more on that later too.

Onto the relevant solicits.

JUSTICE LEAGUE 3001 #11
Written by KEITH GIFFEN and J.M. DeMATTEIS
Art and cover by SCOTT KOLINS

Now that the Justice League is aware of Lady Styx’s ultimate plan, the team is forced to stand its ground to save the human race from extinction. Little do they know that Eclipso is hot on their tails! Plus, the Justice League may have a traitor in its midst.

As the 'go to' book for Supergirl these days, I am glad that JLA 3001 has survived another month without the dreaded 'final issue' tagline. But I worry. Twelfth issues are a perfect spot for the axe.

Giffen and DeMatteis keep pushing things in this book. I assume this is Sinestro on the cover, one more survivor from the 21st century.

I keep wondering if there will be some Twilight Zone ending to this book. Like this universe is a version of comic book hell or purgatory.

DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS #11
Written by MARGUERITE BENNETT
Art by ELIZABETH TORQUE and MIRKA ANDOLFO
Cover by ANT LUCIA

The first of a two-part epic finale to the first year of the war! Tenebrus unleashes an undead army upon London as the Battle of Britain begins, and Amanda Waller’s Bombshells are united at last. But will even the combined might of Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batwoman, Stargirl, Aquawoman, Dr. Light and Big Barda be enough to protect a city under siege? Or will one of the Bombshells be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice?

As the second 'go to book' for Supergirl, I am glad this book is such a hit. I have been eagerly awaiting the time when all the Bombshells team up as a team. Looks like we are finally there. How can you not love this cover with Supergirl, a machine gun toting Amanda Waller, and Big Barda!

This book has been a completely delicious treat.

ACTION COMICS #51
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art by FERNANDO PASARIN
Cover by KARL KERSCHL
Variant cover by JOHN ROMITA, JR. and KLAUS JANSON

Superman is shocked to learn that Kara has been missing for some time as part three of “Super League” begins! Now, with Batman’s help, Kal-El is on his cousin’s trail—but he can’t believe where it’s leading him and who she has joined!

Hurray! Supergirl is mentioned.
Well ... I hope hurray.

There are things that bother me about this solicit which makes my 'I generally don't trust the current DC to treat Supergirl right' feelings surge a bit. First off, Peter Tomasi hasn't exactly wowed me in recent days with his stories.

Second, Clark is shocked to learn that Kara has been missing? I guess he doesn't care about his one surviving family member to keep track of her. This seems off given what seemed like a closer relationship in the closing issues of her book by K. Perkins and Mike Johnson.

Third, he is surprised to see who she has joined? If they make Supergirl dark again, have her join a villain group, I'll be really disappointed. I am hoping its the Legion!

Lastly, we haven't seen Supergirl in months. She is now a TV star. She doesn't merit a spot on the cover?

I generally don't trust DC to treat the main universe Supergirl well. Should I have optimism?

SUPERMAN #51
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art by MIKEL JANIN
Cover by JOHN ROMITA, JR. and KLAUS JANSON
Variant cover by JOHN ROMITA, JR. and DANNY MIKI
On sale APRIL 6 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T

It’s the start of a new chapter in the Man of Steel’s life that will change everything you know as the epic eight-part “Super League,” all written by Peter J. Tomasi, spans BATMAN/SUPERMAN, SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN and ACTION COMICS in April and May!
His time without powers made Kal-El realize that the world is in need of more protectors...more super-powered beings like himself. But where will he find such beings?

And now the premise of the next crossover is revealed. The world needs more protectors? More than the Justice League?

I hope Tomasi can deliver. And I look forward to seeing Mikel Janin on a Superman issue.

BATMAN/SUPERMAN #31
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art by DOUG MAHNKE and JAIME MENDOZA
Cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
Variant cover by JOHN ROMITA, JR. and KLAUS JANSON

In part two of “Super League,” Superman enlists Batman’s aid in seeking out people that can help form his new super-league. A shocking discovery is made about a new super-being no one knew existed, and something is beginning to stalk Superman...

Interesting and eye-grabbing cover by Yanick Paquette here. He has been killing it in recent months on these books' covers.

I wonder if this new super-being is the pre-Flashpoint Superman? Is it a new character or reboot of an older character? And interesting to see Mahnke on this book.  Ed Benes is on the SM/WW book this month.

SUPERMAN: LOIS AND CLARK #7
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art and cover by LEE WEEKS
Variant cover by JOHN ROMITA, JR. and DANNY MIKI

The cosmic menace of Hyathis hits Earth—and this Superman may not be enough to stop her from obtaining the power of the Oblivion Stone. And is Jon starting to manifest superpowers of his own?

So Supergirl being back in the Superman book was the biggest surprise of the month. But this was the second. Don't ask me why I love the old DC character Hyathis but I do. She's awesome. So to see that she is one of the big bads in this book (which I also love) was a very pleasant surprise.

Hyathis!!

SUPERMAN: THE COMING OF THE SUPERMEN #3
Written by NEAL ADAMS
Art and cover by NEAL ADAMS

As Superman tries to find answers as to why Darkseid’s son, Kalibak, has kidnapped a young Middle-Eastern boy and his dog, three other Kryptonians have come to watch over Earth. Meanwhile, the planet Nibiru, which became New Krypton for the liberated Kandorians, is preparing to host Darkseid as he attempts to subjugate their world to make it his New Apokolips.

This book is going to be crazy. I don't know if I have anything more to say. That solicit is nuts.

SUPERGIRL BOOK ONE TP
Written by PETER DAVID
Art by GARY FRANK, CAM SMITH, TERRY DODSON and KARL STORY
Cover by GARY FRANK and CAM SMITH

In this 1990s reimagining of the Girl of Steel, Lex Luthor’s familiar synthetic creation “Matrix”—who mimics Superman’s powers—merges with human girl Linda Danvers to create a new Supergirl! So why does everyone believe she’s dead? And what is the secret behind Linda Danvers’ evil past? Collects issues #1-9, SUPERGIRL PLUS #1, SUPERGIRL ANNUAL #1, and a story from SHOWCASE ’96 #8.

And then a couple of nice surprises. DC has been putting out more Supergirl trades and collections which is always welcome. People who come here know how much I love David's take on Matrix and Superman. So I am happy to see this trade reprinted. But unlike the last version, this one includes Supergirl Plus and Supergirl Annual #1, neither which impact the story dramatically. I wonder if these were put in as an incentive for people who own the original printing to buy this one.

This isn't Kara Zor-El. But it is a great read.

SUPERGIRL: COSMIC ADVENTURES IN THE EIGHTH GRADE TP NEW EDITION
Written by LANDRY Q. WALKER
Art and cover by ERIC JONES

Supergirl’s cosmic adventure is back in print! Supergirl meets Belinda Zee, a new junior high adversary, in this all-ages title collecting the six-issue miniseries. And that’s just the start of the fun that includes super-powered pets and cosmic adventure!

And then another great great surprise! Another printing of Cosmic Adventures.

Maybe ... just maybe ... if sales are great ...
WE'LL GET A SEQUEL!!!

So some interesting stuff for April. Hopefully Tomasi writes a good Supergirl.

Sales Review: December 2015

After a sort of dismal November for DC, the company rallied a bit in December, mostly in market share. The usual coverage is over on ICv2, my favorite site to review this sort of information. Here is the link:
http://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/33439/top-300-comics-actual-december-2015

Despite that bump, it feels like there is the same sort of erosion at the company. Remove things like the Dark Knight miniseries and opaque bagged variants and you are stuck with a company that doesn't seem to have any lasting bright spots, especially with the Super-family.

In fact, maybe in this new year, DC should resolve to shore up this part of their lineup. They need to fix Superman.

We do know that the fiftieth issues of many of the New 52 books will be a turnover point, a place for bold new directions. And solicits show a flying Superman in those issues meaning the powerless Truth must be sprinting to an end.

Superman #47 brought a semi-closure to the Hordr_Root threat as Superman defeated the information terrorist, capturing him in a portable hard drive.

This was something of a climax to the plot running in the Superman book. So how did it sell?

Well, Superman #47 was the best selling of the super-books, coming in at 47K, just above Ms. Marvel and Hellcat #1.

I think part of the problem with The Truth has been the sort of meandering villain plots when I don't quite see the big picture of any of the villains. If this story was more character driven, I might be more invested.

Superman Annual #3 was also released last month. This was a key issue for The Truth as it looked closely at Vandal Savage, the big bad of the whole storyline.

We see that Savage wants to get back in touch with the comet that gave him power.

How that translates into any of the plots before this annual I have no idea. Why the energy drain? Why the nazi gun ship? Why stealing uranium? If he had control of the Stormwatch ship, why attack Earth? Why not just go to the comet?

The annual sold nearly 29000, just under what Action Comics #47 sold.

I have to say, it really pains me to see the Pak/Kuder book down in the weeds here.

It might sound crazy given my general rant about the super-books, but I hope Pak/Kuder get to stay on the book once a sort of status quo is brought back. I think they flourish when not involved in a mega-crossover. That haunted Smallville storyline was phenomenal.

Meanwhile, Lois and Clark, the best Superman book out there in my opinion, slipped to 21K, probably why it was truncated to a mini-series. I have to assume that won't be picked up as an ongoing.

And the best Supergirl book on the market ... indeed one of my favorite books overall ... is Justice League 3001 and that book also continues to slip.

Justice League 3001 #7 sold just under 14K. That is pretty dangerous waters to be in.

And it is a shame because there is solid characterization in this book and a brilliant take on a Silver Age Supergirl thrust into a leadership role in a dark future. All Kara fans should be reading this.

Thankfully, the Truth is limping to an end. But it pains me that the higher quality super-books are languishing a bit in sales.