DC Comics August 2022 Solicits

The August solicits for DC Comics came out last week. Here is a link to Newsarama's coverage for the complete listing:
https://www.gamesradar.com/dc-comics-august-2022-solicitations-covers/

There are some fun things this month including 'swimsuit' variants on some covers. But there wasn't much new that grabbed me here. I really like the DC books I am collecting right now. I'd love to be collecting more. On to the super-books.

ACTION COMICS #1046
Written by PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON
Art by DALE EAGLESHAM
Backup story art by DAVID LAPHAM
Cover by LUCIO PARRILLO
Variant cover by LEE BERMEJO
Swimsuit variant cover by STANLEY "ARTGERM" LAO

The climactic battle for the fate of Warworld is fast approaching, and the Authority is finally reunited…but no longer as allies! As Superman fights to retrieve a mythical ancient weapon that can free the people of Warworld, Natasha Irons, Midnighter, and O.M.A.C. fight for the souls of their own teammates. Meanwhile, in the Fortress of Solitude: it's all hands on deck as the entire Super-family joins forces to recover the Genesis fragment from one of Superman's earliest classic enemies!

Now this is solicit!

We can start with the Kara swimsuit cover. Gorgeous!

But the blurb is great. Sounds like Apollo, Enchantress, and Lightray aren't fighting for the good guys anymore. And you know that Supergirl is going to be involved in that Fortress battle. Bring it on!

Review: Action Comics #1043

Action Comics #1043 came out this week, another excellent chapter in the Warworld Saga and an issue that had a back-up feature that I can actually get behind.

One thing I have been saying all along is that writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson is world-building in this arc. We are learning about the history of Warworld and now the name Mongul. There is a lot to unpack here as more history is hinted at here. There are mysteries to solve here. There isn't much Superman action here. But there is a lot to digest as things get deeper and more interesting. 

What Superman stuff we do see is intriguing. It is one thing to see him leading rebel raids, being a man of ... well ... action. But I like seeing that he is thinking of Earth. And I like seeing him look a little uneasy as the mantle of tactical leader is thrust upon him. Inspirational leader? That's easy for him. Making military decisions? Maybe not so much.

The art is a solid mix between Riccardo Federici and his feathery pencils as well as Will Conrad and his heavy feel. This is really pretty to look at.

This is one of the best books on the shelves. On to the specifics.

Black Orchid Review: Adventure Comics #429

Could Black Orchid be Supergirl? It was a fan theory back in the 70s and one I have been exploring in depth over the last month or so here.

Today I look at Adventure Comics #429, the second appearance of the character in her initial 3 issue run in the title. 

There some things I have learned about the Black Orchid from these stories, some universal truths. 

One, she will always be in disguise at some point, impersonating one of the characters. So as a reader, you are always wondering.

Two, the stories tend to be bonkers, appropriate for the times.

Three, the art is always going to be gorgeous. I have yet to see a lackluster art effort on her stories.

And four, and most importantly, you can see why the theory would have some legs. It is pretty easy to retrofit these stories into some Kara history.

This issue keeps all those things true. But it is wild ride, so settle in. 

'Challenge to the Black Orchid' was written by Sheldon Mayer with art by Tony Dezuniga.

We start with a truly stunning splash. There is some balletic about this, as the Orchid soars above a dock. Underneath her, you see someone hunched behind crates with a rifle. It is very Noir.  Dezuniga is at the top of his game here.

If you read the opening paragraph, it could definitely be the opening of a Supergirl story. 

"She appears where there is evil ... she has the strength of a regiment, flies through the air like a bird of prey, and has the beauty and compassion of a young girl." (Okay, I snipped out the 'she disappears' bits. They don't fit the narrative.)

Review: World's Finest #3

World's Finest #3 came out last week and was just another wonderful issue of  super-hero action and character moments. I don't know if I'll be able to easily explain why this works but it just feels like all the fun and insane brilliance of the Bronze Age but polished up for the current world. 

Writer Mark Waid has such easy grasp of character voices. His Superman and Batman are best buddies and trust each other. His Robin  is young and brash. His Supergirl is intelligent and pro-active. But this is also some sort of tour through the DCU. We get the Doom Patrol and their old enemy General Immortus. We have a very classic Wonder Woman battling Dr. Alchemy. The Flash is battling the Mirror Master. And we get a couple of surprises at the end. While Batman and Superman are the hub of the book, this truly is a DC adventure. 

Dan Mora's art is just as important to the story. Every page is beautiful. I love the fact that we get to see Mora's take on so much of the DCU. With every guest star I keep thinking 'DC should put Mora on that book when he leaves World's Finest. I especially love his take on Supergirl and her Crisis-era costume. She looks like a young, healthy, determined, athletic woman. His action pages also sizzle. 

The Devil Nezha story takes a nice bump forward with us learning how the House of Ji defeated him in the past. Given the scope of Waid's writing, I think there is a clue there. Let the guesses start!

On to the book.

Review: Superman Son of Kal-El #11

Superman Son of Kal-El #11 came out last week and was a very good issue in a title that has been sort of hit and miss for me at times. I really feel like this issue sort of encapsulated all of the good things that I have liked about this book into one crisp tale. This felt like a 'done in one' even though it clearly is a chapter in the longer Gamorran arc. And it places Jon in the spotlight as the new Superman, complete with Superman like ethics. Well ... except for one piece which I hope will be addressed moving forward.

Writer Tom Taylor has seemed to make a name for himself by writing 'feel good' heroes who are as ready to fight social injustices as they are to trade haymakers with super-villains. This book and Nightwing both stand out for their progressive stances. He also has a knack of bringing warmth to these characters who for a while have been muddled in the grim and gritty. And perhaps best of all, he definitely leans into the past, building on continuity as he forges forward. This is a Jon who was involved in some tragedy as a kid, who lived in volcano being tortured for years, and is still trying to live up to the ideals of his father. All of that makes him who he is now. Add to that some great new twists involving Pa Kent and Alfred and this whole book really crackled from a character point of view.

Artist Cian Tormey brings solid work here. There isn't anything flashy. But the scenes roll out nicely. Anyone who can bring authenticity to a heart to heart between Batman and Pa Kent is doing the work. Like Taylor, I think it is the character work that sings here as body language and expression really amp up the script.

So bring on more issues like this please!

On to the specifics.

DC Round Robin 2: Superboy

A tip of the hat to blog friend Mart Gray for telling me about the Superboy The Man of Tomorrow entry into the DC Round Robin tournament. I haven't been following this particular promotion too closely. What I know is that readers vote for which premise seems more promising until finally one is given the cherished 'go ahead' to be produced.

Mart told me I should check out the Superboy entry and I am glad he did. And as a Conner fan, I am glad this one survived and advances.

Times have been a bit tough on Conner. He was sort of shunted off into limbo for a while. (The New 52 did few people favors.) He finally is brought back into the fold by Brian Michael Bendis in the Young Justice Reboot only to have the book get canceled. And with Jon now being Superman Son of Kal-El for the world, there isn't much room for Conner in the DCU. As a fan, I wondered about what the next steps would be or if this Superboy would again fade away into limbo.

Incredibly, that lack of 'space' seems to be the theme of the book. Writer Kenny Porter and artist Jahnoy Lindsay (both new to me) wonder what it is like to be a member in an over-stuffed super family. Maybe the answer is to head into space?

I find a couple of things interesting to comment on before I head into the story proper. One, I like the homage cover here to one of the first images of Superboy from way back in Reign of the Supermen. The title Superboy Man of Tomorrow seems to be akin to the Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow mini which just concluded, another story where a super-family member went into space. But unlike Kara's sob story in her book where she left out of depression and grief, Conner is leaving looking for adventure. Lastly, this take has some resonance with prior Supergirl stories where she wondered who she was in the great scheme of things. All interesting.

On to the book.

Review: Justice League Vs Legion Of Super-Heroes #3

At long last, Justice League Vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #3 came out. It has been 2 solid months since the second issue. Nothing, and I mean nothing, will kill momentum like delays. And for someone starving for Legion material, 2 months felt like 6.

What makes matters even wonkier is that DC continuity right now is pretty soft. Remember when I thought having Doomsday Clock, Snyder's Metal, and Event Leviathan all overlapping was weird? That was a walk in the park. Right now Superman is dead, on Warworld, and in the 31st century ... all at once. It is this sort of overlapping event phenomenon that kind of cheapens or lessens each of them. We have this Great Darkness and THE GREAT DARKNESS in Dark Crisis. Confusing.

All right, enough griping. What about this issue.

Well we are halfway through this mini-series and I don't know what's going on. The 'Vs' confuses me in the title although in the end I think the Gold Lantern is going to be a dupe for whoever the bad guys are. That will probably lead to some conflict.

Writer Brian Michael Bendis brings his usual snappy patter to the book. It reads very well with some humor and some solid character moments. In a riff on classic JLA team-ups he has split the teams into small groups. But I just don't know if the plot has advanced enough here for the halfway point. Will this come to a solid conclusion or just sort of peter out?

Scotty Godlewski really is singing here. I love his take on these Legionnaires. And his expressive work and body language is nuanced. You can read the feelings here without them being exaggerated. 

On to the book.