DC Announces 10 of Their 40 Convergence Tie-ins

News

Over at CBR, DC has announced the first batch of their 40 Convergence tie-in miniseries:

SUPERMAN

Writer: Dan Jurgens
Artist: Lee Weeks and Dan Jurgens/Norm Rapmund

Superman and Lois deal with the impending birth of their child as he is called in to protect the city.

Skitch Commentary: And people said Marvel’s “Spider-Marriage” tease was mean?  I am a huge fan of Jurgens’ work on Superman, and this is definitely the one on this list that I am most excited about.  BUT, I can imagine, it will just make me pissed off if at the end, we are back to the current New 52 status quo with Superman and Lois Lane barely acknowledging each other’s existence.


THE ATOM

Writer: Tom Peyer
Artist: Steve Yeowell / Andy Owens

Ray Palmer finds that Ryan Choi is still alive. Together, they meet and confront Deathstroke, the man responsible for “killing” Choi, before fighting the invading Extremists.

Skitch Commentary: I was actually at San-Diego Con panel when Jim Lee promised that Ryan Choi would be one of the Justice League members in the second arc of New 52 Justice League.  Which never quite panned out.  This is definitely set before New 52…I don’t have a real strong connection to Ryan Choi (or Ray Palmer for that matter), but it still sounds like a cool comic.  Always liked Tom Peyer’s work.


BATGIRL

Writer: Alisa Kwitney
Artist: Rick Leonardi and Mark Pennington

After a year in the dome, Stephanie Brown is not sure she wants to be Batgirl again. But when Flashpoint Catman attacks, Red Robin and Black Bat call her back into service.

Skitch Commentary:This is the first mention of “the dome,” but there are quite a few of them throughout these teasers.  I am definitely curious what the dome is, and what it has to do with Convegence.

I am a huge fan of Bryan Q Miller’s Batgirl run, so any chance to see Stephanie as Batgirl is definitely a huge thumb’s up from me.


NIGHTWING/ORACLE
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Jan Duursema and Dan Parsons

Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon reevaluate their relationship under the dome (wedding!), but Flashpoint Hawkman & Hawkwoman attack, and everything changes.

Skitch Commentary: I am sure it’s just me, but I would love to see Devin Grayson writing this.

This does remind me, I actually really miss Barbara as Oracle…to me, that is when the character was at her best.  I almost wish Gail was doing a Birds of Prey issue and not something that sounds like a really bad idea for a fan-fic.


SPEED FORCE

Writer: Tony Bedard
Artist: Tom Grummett and Sean Parsons

Wally West and his kids are separated from Linda, which was bad enough, but when the dome falls, Flashpoint Wonder Woman comes for them.

Skitch Commentary: Remember my comment earlier about Superman and Lois?  Double it here.   I am really looking forward to this, since I love Wally West.  BUT, at the same time, it also just reminds me of what we’ve lost with New 52, so there will definitely be some bitterness from me when I read it.


TITANS

Writer: Fabian Nicieza
Artist: Ron Wagner and Jose Marzan

Starfire and Donna Troy come to get Roy Harper who has gone into seclusion since the death of his child and loss of his arm, but then Arsenal has to choose between his team and resurrecting his dead daughter.

Skitch Commentary: The Titans (just before it was combined with Young Justice) was always a series that I thought got a real bad wrap.  People just seemed to hate it for some reason, but it was definitely one of my favorite DC books at the time.  I really hate a lot of what they did to Arsenal over the years, but I do like these versions of these characters, so I will definitely check this one out.


JUSTICE LEAGUE

Writer: Frank Tieri
Artist: Vicente Cifuentes

When Supergirl, Zatanna, and Jade went to Jessie Quick’s baby shower, they didn’t expect to be taken to another planet for a year, or to be attacked by Flashpoint Aquaman.

Skitch Commentary: I am not even sure when this takes place.  I definitely wasn’t reading any DC at this time.  That said, it sounds like a cool lineup, and Flashpoint Aquaman was pretty badass.


QUESTION

Writer: Greg Rucka
Artist: Cully Hamner

Two-Face is fighting another world’s Harvey Dent, and it’s up to Renee Montoya as the Question to help him beat the odds.

Skitch Commentary: I love when Greg Rucka writes the Question.  Montoya really didn’t get enough of a chance to show what she could do as Question, so I’m glad to see Rucka and Hamner getting another shot at this.


BATMAN & ROBIN

Writer: Ron Marz
Artist: Denys Cowan and Klaus Janson

Bruce Wayne and Damian have friction with Red Hood before the Extremists attack.

Skitch Commentary: I sort of wish this was Nightwing and Robin, I always thought that Dick and Damian had a great dynamic.   But Ron Marz writing a Batman book holds a huge appeal to me.


HARLEY QUINN

Writer: Steve Pugh
Artist: Phil Winslade and John Dell

Harley Quinn is enjoying her normal life under the dome until Catwoman and Poison Ivy draft her to fight Captain Carrot.

Skitch Commentary: Dear DC,

STOP PUSHING HARLEY QUINN ON US!  I am so sick of Harley Quinn.  She has become the Deadpool of the DC Universe.  A light-hearted character with a dark edge that I really liked at one point, but by now, their gimmick has gone stale, and I am just so sick of them both.


Overall thoughts: There is a great variety of books here.  Granted, five of them are Batman-related (counting The Question) but that is nothing new from DC.  I do wish they had gone a little further back though.  More Silver or even Golden Age stuff.  So much of this seems to be just before New 52…and if that stuff was working so well, they would have had no reason to do New 52 in the first place.

As DC announces more titles, I will continue to provide my commentary for them.  See you next time!

Mike Maillaro is a lifelong Jersey Boy and geek. Mike has been a comic fan for about 30 years from when his mom used to buy him Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Adventures at our local newsstand. Thanks, Mom!! Mike's goal is to bring more positivity to the discussion of comics and pop culture.