Hello and welcome back to Upcoming Comics everyone! We don’t have a ton to cover this week regarding titles being published on the Batman side of things, so I thought I’d speak briefly on some of the news that’s been coming out regarding future comic titles.
It should be no surprise that with cancellations announcements begin to follow, and that’s what we’ve seen these last couple days. It’s almost old news now that Tim’s Robin title will be ending in June alongside Batgirls. But we’ve recently seen that Joshua Williamson, with artist Simone Di Meo will be starting a new Batman and Robin ongoing in September starring Bruce and Damian. I’m excited to see both Williamson writing Damian again, and to see Damian adventuring alongside Bruce. I really enjoyed Williamson’s Robin title, and I felt like there was more he wanted to do with the character than he had the chance to do before the series ended so this feels like news tailor made to get me excited.
That said, it feels really weird all the flip-flopping the Robins have done lately, between Damian and Tim and Damian. I’d love to see both characters settle comfortably into roles for a while, and not have so many “big changes” rock their boats. Hopefully smoother sailing is in store for both of them this year. What do you think? How do you feel about the way the Robin mantle has been in such flux lately? Drop a comment with your thoughts!
Alright, enough about future comics, let’s look at what’s out this week!
Upcoming Comics
Batman #134
It’s all-out war as only Batman stands between Red Mask and a Gotham City full of bodies! How much is the Dark Knight willing to sacrifice to save this city?
- Written By: Chip Zdarsky
- Penciled By: Mike Hawthorne, Miguel Mendonca
- Inks By: Mike Hawthorne, Miguel Mendonca, Adriano Di Benedetto
- Colors By: Roman Stevens, Tomeu Morey
- Cover By: Jorge Jiménez
Batman News Critic: Casper
Batman and the Joker: Deadly Duo #6
After a bloody, brutal, and harrowing adventure across and underneath Gotham, Batman and The Joker have unearthed the true culprit behind the dark scheme against them. Now the Deadly Duo find themselves unwilling participants in a bone-chilling wedding ceremony in the catacombs beneath Gotham City. Get ready for unholy matrimony in this horrific penultimate chapter that needs to be seen to be believed.
- Written, Penciled, & Inked By: Marc Silvestri
- Colors By: Arif Prianto
- Cover By: Arif Prianto
Thoughts: For all my dislike of Joker himself, the solicit for this comic does make the issue out to seem pretty wild, and enticing enough to make me want to check it out!
Batman News Critic: William
Poison Ivy #11
It’s no secret that Ivy can be very convincing, but with her newfound powers, she now has people wrapped around her finger. Janet’s time at the spa goes south when Ivy uses her…persuasive powers…to blockade a petroleum processing plant. Things take a wild turn, though, when the employees become violent and Ivy must protect the women she initially set out to destroy. So much for a relaxing spa retreat!
- Written By: G. Willow Wilson
- Pencils & Inks By: Marcio Takara
- Colors By: Arif Prianto
- Cover By: Jessica Fong
Thoughts: I haven’t had a lot of interest before now, but Poison Ivy won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book award recently, which makes me really want to check it out!
Batman News Critic: Theresa
Joker the Man Who Stopped Laughing #7
Following his explosive plans last issue, The Joker has turned L.A. into a war zone and worn out his welcome. He makes plans to leave and head back to Gotham to settle some unfinished business there, but discovers the City of Angels’ darkest secret: nobody gets out easily. Now he must choose-face the manhunt or the Manhunter.
- Written By: Matthew Rosenberg, Ryan Cady
- Penciled By: Carmine Di Giandomenico, Will Robson
- Inks By: Carmine Di Giandomenico, Will Robson
- Colors By: Arif Prianto, Romulo Fajardo, Hi-Fi
- Cover By: Carmine Di Giandomenico
Thoughts: This continues to be a book I have almost no interest at all in, especially seeing solicits like “the Joker turned L.A. into a war zone.” I’ve had enough of cities being turned into war zones with Gotham being in that state almost constantly.
Batman News Critic: Theresa
Beyond the Bat
Welcome to Beyond the Bat! Here’s where we look at books not Batman central being released by DC this week. It’s also a pretty short list, though longer than our Bat-titles for the week. Let me know what you’re looking forward to!
Ratings
Most Excited: Poison Ivy #11- Like I said in my thoughts section, the title winning the GLAAD award is enough to make me curious about the title.
Least Excited: Joker the Man Who Stopped Laughing #7- It’s hard to get me excited for any book featuring Joker as its lead character, and this one is doing little to fix that.
Wild Card: Batman #134- Batman has felt very much like a wild card pretty much the whole time Zdarsky has been writing it.
That’s all for this week’s Upcoming Comics! Be sure to share what you think about some of the latest comic news, and the titles being released this week. What are you picking up? Skipping? Have you heard anything new about some of the titles you weren't sure about that made you want to check them out? Let me know!
