1. All New Batman the Brave and the Bold #3:
“The Mad Hatter and Mirror Master team up to drag Batman and The Flash “Through the Looking Glass”! Trapped in a wacky Wonderland filled with white rabbits and Cheshire cats, the heroes have to battle past the pair of villains – and a fearsome Jabberwock – to find their way back to the real world.”
This is creative and beautiful. The marriage of Hatter and Mirror Master to pull heroes through the looking glass is great. Batman is a fantastic choice as the detective to figure out what’s going on. The only issue I have with this one? We could really use a lesser known than Flash, regardless of if he’s a Mirror Master enemy. Batgirl or Black Alice would have been perfect.
2. Batgirl #17
“Batgirl has been given her first sanctioned Batman Incorporated assignment solving a series of high-profile kidnappings, and she’s thrilled! Well, she was – until Damian Wayne decided to ride shotgun. Can the Dysfunctional Duo stop fighting long enough to save the children of Gotham City’s elite?”
Bryan Q Miller’s Batgirl has been consistently phenomenal. He writes Stephanie as likable for the first time and her relationship with every other member of the Bat Family is fantastic. You should be reading this book and this is an excellent place to jump on. Come on, try it. Who doesn’t love Damian Robin?
3. Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #6
“Now that Guy Gardner’s comrades have discovered the secret blood pact he began with Ganthet and Atrocitus, will they remain at his side – or will Zardor’s recruits grow in rank against the Emerald Warrior? Sodam Yat may not be able to handle the fallout! Meanwhile, Red Lantern Bleez works to find out why she’s so important to Zardor’s plan…”
It only feels like the plot isn’t moving forward here. Stuff happens, just slowly. Tomasi was my favorite writer a couple of years back, but being stuck filling time before War of Green Lanterns here and the mess of Brightest Day has just turned me off of his work.
4. Titans #32
“The Atom and the Justice League guest-star as Ray Palmer comes to some dark conclusions regarding Ryan Choi’s murder. Meanwhile, the Tattooed Man must finally decide what kind of man he is when Deathstroke hands him his son’s killer, while Osiris has already chosen his path in bringing back his sister Isis – but what will Osiris do when he runs into Shazam?”
Why must every book with Titans in its title be so dark? We’ve got murder, murder of a child, and an unholy resurrection already in this solicit. No thanks.
5. Superman #707
“In a small town near Des Moines, Iowa, Superman discovers that everyone is terrified of something, but they won’t say what – they just want The Man of Steel to leave as fast as possible. Find out what horrible secret awaits.”
The solicit says this is JMS, so I’m out. I really enjoyed his Thor and Spider-Man (mostly), but his work since coming to DC has been abysmal. This and Earth One show a Superman I just don’t want to read. Bring on Roberson, please.
6. Red Robin #19
“When Red Robin and his friends are trapped in the unknown world of the Unternet by the Calculator’s fail-safe program, it’s Batman and Robin to the rescue – but which Batman and Robin is it? If the Unternet is a telepathic communications gestalt where the villains’ dreams come true, can Red Robin become its waking nightmare?”
Unternet is an absurd and hilarious idea, but I really wish the villain wasn’t Calculator. He was taken out of circulation pretty recently and is back already, but he knew the heroes identities when he was captured and, to my knowledge, it hasn’t been addressed why he forgot.
7. Rebels #24
“Two years ago, super-genius Vril Dox gathered his team of R.E.B.E.L.S. to fight off one seemingly unbeatable foe: Starro the Conqueror. Now, Starro is back for revenge, and Dox’s downfall has begun!”
The book was at its best for this plot, and it’s good to see a return to this type of focus. I’m quite pleased with Bedard’s work on this since the lull of the late teen issues.
8. Booster Gold #40
“Coming to grips with reality at last, Booster Gold steps up his game and finally accepts the fact that his best friend, Blue Beetle Ted Kord, is dead. This is bad news for the villain who shows up this month because they’re about to face an angry Booster Gold…”
Seriously, no. Johns took care of this in the book’s first arc. Why is it back?
9. Birds of Prey #8
“The stunning “Death of Oracle” arc continues, with complications that will resonate through the DC Universe! And find out more about Mortis, the most twisted BIRDS OF PREY villain ever, as she sets her sights on Hawk and Dove in this BATMAN INCORPORATED tie-in!”
Look, Barbara Gordon isn’t dying. We’re instead getting an arc where the number of people knowing Oracle is alive is greatly reduced. That’s cool, but I feel like Gail is putting more heart into Secret Six than this since its return. Its competent, but not as fiery as the original series.
10. Batman and Robin #19
“Batman and Robin have found The Absence, but a deathtrap awaits them. How do you prove a negative? How do you escape nothing? When there’s nothing at the center of a life, madness can stick its claws in!”
Okay, the Absence is a character that exists, so it can be escaped. I get the thematic attempt here, but this arc has been all balls-to-the-wall insanity. Let it rock, as such.
