A Critical Look at DC's December 2015 Solicits

With assistance by Mike Maillaro

Check out Newsarama for a complete list of DC book shipping in December.

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DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE #2 by FRANK MILLER,  BRIAN AZZARELLO, ANDY KUBERT and KLAUS JANSON

The unexpected finale to the Dark Knight saga continues as Carrie Kelly gets caught…that is, she finds herself…she gets into—well, you’re just going to have to read it yourself.

Grey: Remember when Tomasi debuted her in Batman and Robin and then it was completely abandoned after four issues?

Mike: Barely.  She has always just been an uninteresting character to me.  No idea why anyone would try to work her into modern continuity, unless they were Frank Miller fetishists.  

Grey: Pretty much. I mean, she didn’t suck in B&R, she just served no purpose and was easily forgotten.

 

BATMAN/TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #1 by JAMES TYNION IV & FREDDIE E. WILLIAMS II

DC Comics and IDW team up for the crossover you never saw coming as two of the greatest entertainment icons meet for the first time! In Gotham City, a series of deadly raids leads Batman to believe he’s up against a group of highly trained ninjas known as the Foot Clan! Somehow, they’ve crossed over to another dimension and are determined to take advantage of the situation while looking to get back home. But they haven’t come alone: Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo are hot on their trail. Get ready for excitement as heroes and villains from both worlds clash and team up in an epic battle that threatens the very fabric of reality!

Grey: SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!

Mike: One of the things I loved about the 90’s was so many ridiculous crossovers.  It’s just bewildering to me that it’s taken this long for this to happen.  I will definitely be a customer here!

 

HARLEY’S LITTLE BLACK BOOK #1 by AMANDA CONNER and JIMMY PALMIOTTI

It’s the sensational debut of a bimonthly, overstuffed, oversized team-up series in which Harley meets (and almost certainly annoys) the greatest heroes and villains of the DC Universe! First up? The incredible Wonder Woman! There’s a plot to assassinate Wondy, and Harley is convinced that only she could possibly stop it! (Hey, you want to tell her about all the other options? We tried.)

This issue features open-to-order variant covers by J. Scott Campbell that will be shipped in opaque polybags.

Mike: Another Harley series?  WHY???  If someone took Harley and Deadpool and wiped them from existence, the comic industry would be a far better place.  Talk about oversaturation.

Also, opaque polybags?  When I said I missed the 90’s, I didn’t mean this part of the 90’s…

Grey: So, if SNL were to do a “Hey, remember the 90’s” sketch, who would replace Goat Boy?

Mike: It’s not like Jim Breuer is all that busy.  He could probably do it himself.

Grey: “Will play Goatboy for food”

 

BATMAN ‘66 MEETS THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. #1 by JEFF PARKER & DAVID HAHN

Two 1960s television icons cross paths for a groovy, globe-spanning adventure in this one-of-a-kind miniseries. The deadly organization known as T.H.R.U.S.H. has a new twist in their plans for world conquest—they’re recruiting some of Gotham City’s most infamous villains! Agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin bring this information to the one man who knows everything about these new enemies: Batman. Before you can say “Open channel D,” the Dynamic Duo and the Men from U.N.C.L.E. are jetting off to Europe to thwart the schemes of this deadly criminal cartel.

Mike: I did like Kevin Smith’s Batman ‘66/Green Hornet, but I don’t have any real connection to The Man from UNCLE, so I will likely be passing this up.   

Grey: What’s The Man from UNCLE?

Mike: TV series from the 60’s.  Literally the only thing I know about it is that my mom had a huge crush on one of the guys...who is currently in NCIS.  And Guy Ritchie did some kind of remake recently starring Harry Cavill.

 

ROBIN WAR #1 by TOM KING & KHARY RANDOLPH

In part 1 of this new epic, it’s Robins vs. cops! Robins vs. Robins! Robins vs. Batman! And Robins vs. the Court of Owls?!

Damian Wayne returns to Gotham City, and he is not happy. There are kids all over the city calling themselves Robin, Bruce Wayne is no longer Batman and the GCPD, led by the new, armored-up Batman, is cracking down on anybody wearing the “R.” And things only get worse when Red Hood, Red Robin and Grayson all come back to Gotham City…

Grey: Damian versus the We Are Robin kids? That sounds like a massacre.

Mike: Robin War?  Not sure I am all that interested in a Robin-heavy crossover, but I already buy most of the comics included.   And I do think the Court of Owls has some potential to be great villains, though they have not been used all that well so far.  They basically show up just to get their butts kicked.

 

DETECTIVE COMICS #47 by PETER J. TOMASI & MARCIO TAKARA

LOCKED UP! In Robin War” part 3, the GCPD cracks down on the Robins, Batman must choose sides—and the mysterious Court of Owls stands behind it all pulling the strings!

Grey: I keep forgetting that Tomasi is on this book, I need to jump on it.

Mike: Tec has been real good.  Better  than Batman actually.  Really good stuff with Bullock and Montoya.

 

GOTHAM ACADEMY #13 by BRENDEN FLETCHER & KARL KERSCHL

A “Robin War” tie-in! With Robins fighting cops all over the city, the student body is starting to take sides. What happens when Olive and her friends find themselves on opposite sides of this struggle? And what happens when the real war comes to the halls of Gotham Academy?

Mike: I really wanted to like Gotham Academy, but the first two issues just did nothing for me.  I like Fletcher’s work on Black Canary, but I will still likely skip this issue of the crossover.  Glad it’s just a tie-in, and not a “numbered” part.

Grey: I read it for the first six issues or so...nothing happens. Like, it wants to be Morning Glories, but nothing happens.

 

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7 by BRYAN HITCH & DANIEL HENRIQUES

The devastating climax of last issue has the League scrambling for revenge! Only problem is, they’ll need to get through millions of super-powered Kryptonians to get it!

Mike: Why does every writer want to bring back more Kryptonians and further cheapen Superman?  One of the things I loved about the 90’s is that even Supergirl, Powergirl and Superboy WERE NOT KRYPTONIANS.  Superman was allowed to be unique.

Grey: And then fans of the Silver Age took over and we got the revised Krypton of the 00’s that eventually turned into the awful New Krypton.

 

BLACK CANARY #7 by BRENDEN FLETCHER & ANNIE WU

It’s the deafening finale of the band’s debut tour! Dinah will have to scream louder than she ever has before…so loud that the walls of reality will crumble! It’s gonna get crazy, folks.

Mike: Dinah screams so loud the walls of reality will crumble.  Well...at least it’s better than Superboy Prime rage punching reality to bring Red Hood back to life.   I definitely admire the hyperbole in the solicit.  

Grey: This book has been fun, pretty much the opposite of Batgirl despite the same dude handling both.

Mike: Yeah, I was real hesitant to buy this at first because I couldn’t get into Batgirl, but this has been a terrific comic.  Real creative, and a whole new take on Black Canary. When is he going to do Huntress and finish off revamping the whole Birds of Prey..

 

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED #16 by JEFF PARKER & TRAVEL FOREMAN

FINAL ISSUE

Artist Travel Foreman returns for this “trippy” trip to the House of Secrets to reveal at last how Adam Strange came to be trapped in the Zeta Beam! And just what will that mean for the mysterious, reality-warping Breakers that have brought so many disparate heroes and villains to the team?

Mike: Final issue!!  Unfortunately, that is probably the right choice.  I enjoyed this series before it took a huge change after Convergence.  It’s a shame, because it had a great cast, and I have always liked “second tier” superhero teams.  Hopefully, they will find a better way to go.  If nothing else, this is a far better read than Justice League of America, which often feels pointless.

 

EARTH 2: SOCIETY #7 by DANIEL H. WILSON & JORGE JIMENEZ

As the fledgling society of new Earth threatens to disintegrate into chaos, can the raw power of the Green Lantern overcome the godlike abilities of Doctor Impossible? Or is Alan Scott just a man, after all?

Grey: Well, ever since Convergence ended and this book began, Alan Scott has been pretty much God like in power and hasn’t really been more than the planets Green Lantern, so I’d actually forgotten that he was a man at all. Sometimes a character gets a power boost that makes them as far beyond meta humans as they are beyond you.

Mike: I blame the homosexual agenda.

 

THE FLASH #47 by ROBERT VENDITTI, VAN JENSEN, BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND

Professor Zoom’s endgame goes into effect as we learn the dark truth behind Nora Allen’s murder!

Grey: Did Zoom kill Barry’s mom? Because, I mean, that keeps being the case in every canon, so why not here?

Mike: Yeah, this storyline has been weird that way, especially with how the first season of the show ended.  I keep feeling like this is being drawn on too long.  BUT, I love Zoom’s acolytes.

 

MARTIAN MANHUNTER #7 by ROB WILLIAMS, EDDY BARROWS and EBER FERREIRA

The Red Rising is complete: Mars is reborn, Earth is dead, and the Martian Manhunter walks again. But what will befall his once disparate aspects—Mould, Agent Wessel, The Pearl and Mr. Biscuits—when they are discovered alive on the new red planet? Hailed as one of the best and most unpredictable new DC series in years, MARTIAN MANHUNTER begins a major new story with this crucial issue.

Grey: Alright, this solicit sounds awesome.

 

SECRET SIX #9 by GAIL SIMONE & DALE EAGLESHAM

The team’s attempt to defend the Earth from invasion by the Elder Gods takes them to a creepy New England town, inhabited by one very nasty creature. And just when they need Black Alice’s abilities the most, a shocking turn of events puts her down for the count. Guest starring Swamp Thing!

Mike: Secret Six gets ready to play the home version of Arkham Horror!  I would totally read that comic.  I have been on a Lovecraft kick lately, so this is perfect timing for me as a reader.

Grey: This book is so good.

Mike: I actually JUST finished the last issue.  Wow, shit just gets more messed up every issue.  I am reluctant to say I enjoy this as much as Pre-New 52, Secret Six...but it is damn close.

 

TELOS #3 by JEFF KING, CARLO PAGULAYAN and JASON PAZ

Telos battles Validus while his revolutionary allies—K’Rot, Captain Comet, Stealth and Techne—make a horrifying discovery about Computo. He’s creating a super-powered clone army! Techne asks Telos to fight alongside her team. But is Techne who she seems? And will Telos abandon his personal quest for his fellow prisoners’ cause?

Grey: Legion villains? Sold.

Mike: I was surprised when I saw Validus in a solicit.  Fatal Five for life!!

 

STARFIRE #7 by AMANDA CONNER, JIMMY PALMIOTTI, EMANUELA LUPACCHINO and RAY McCARTHY

It’s the final showdown between Starfire and the wicked Soren Hook! As the battle reaches its end, a familiar face arrives in Key West! Will sparks fly when Kori is reunited with Dick Grayson?

Mike: I think this is the first time we’ve seen the two characters together since New 52?  Not 100% sure about that though.  I always liked their relationship and have hoped for a while that DC would revisit them being together.  I always thought that was a much better fit than Batgirl.

Grey: I like both relationships depending on the when. Like, Dick and Kori in Teen Titans was great, and I loved Nightwing and Oracle, but Babs has to be in a chair for me to like them together.

Mike: I can go with that.  It didn’t help that I was watching Teen Titans Go with my kids this weekend, and Dick was totally trying to get with Kori, so it was on my mind.

 

TITANS HUNT #3 by DAN ABNETT & PAOLO SIQUIEIRA

Haunted by a past they no longer recognize, Dick Grayson and Roy Harper hunt for the truth. Somehow, somewhere, there must be someone who can explain the memories that obsess them but don’t belong to them. Their search has unleashed the rage of Atlantis, but that’s nothing compared to the fury of the Amazonian outcast waiting for them in the shadows.

Grey: Why do I feel like the point of this is to introduce Garth?

Mike: As much as I like Garth, I want to know when they will introduce Kaldur.  #NotMyAqualad

 

SUPERMAN: AMERICAN ALIEN #2 by MAX LANDIS & TOMMY LEE EDWARDS

After Smallville experiences its first violent crime in years, teenager Clark Kent is pressured by his best friend Pete Ross to take matters into his own hands in the second issue of SUPERMAN: AMERICAN ALIEN!

Renowned artist Tommy Lee Edwards (MAD MAX: FURY ROAD) illustrates this unflinching look at the boy behind the Man of Steel.

Grey: So Pete knows he has powers?

 

ACTION COMICS #47 by GREG PAK and AARON KUDER

The ebony powers of the woman known as Wrath are unleashed on Superman. Will the Man of Steel fall to the dark side?

Grey: Come to the dark side, Kal-El, give in to your feelings…

Mike: Kal-El...I AM YOUR FATHER!

 

SUPERMAN #47 by GENE LUEN YANG & HOWARD PORTER

What would happen if the powers of all of Superman’s foes were contained in one villain? You’ll find out when you meet the Amalgam of Composite Superman Foes—and this is one nightmare a semi-powered Man of Steel may not survive! Join series writer Gene Luen Yang and guest artist Howard Porter for an unforgettable new epic!

Mike: This totally sounds like a Silver Age Superman comic.  I am not even sure what that could possibly look like.   I love Howard Porter’s art.  He is the perfect choice for this kind of insanity.

 

BATMAN #47 by SCOTT SNYDER, GREG CAPULLO and DANNY MIKI

While Jim Gordon is in the fight of his life against Mr. Bloom, Bruce Wayne discovers a shocking secret about his past that will change everything in Gotham City!

Grey: Is the shocking secret that he’s the Goddamn Batman? Because that’s a pretty good secret.

Mike:  Bruce Wayne is Batman? I had no idea!  I keep waiting for Damien to come home and say “what the hell are you doing, Pops...we got crime fighting to do?”  Slap the Batman back into him.

 

BATMAN AND ROBIN ETERNAL #9 - 13 by Various

Red Robin and Red Hood have followed a trail of technology to the island nation of Santa Prisca and the mysterious monastery built on the site of what was once the worst prison in the world…but that prison was once the kingdom of Bane, and he wants his kingdom back! Meanwhile, Dick Grayson and Harper Row meet the mysterious Sculptor, a woman who reshapes minds! And with every clue they assemble, a terrible picture of Bruce Wayne’s darkest hour is emerging…

Grey: LAZY SOLICIT WRITING! Jebus, you don’t have to give us the full summary of each issue, but five identical solicits in a row? So lazy.

Mike: Yeah, this happened last month too.   They clearly have nothing to say...but I am real interested in seeing Bane.  I miss that guy!  Hopefully he will be well written. That hasn’t happened since Secret Six.

Grey: I liked him in the Tomasi written Forever Evil stuff.

Mike: Hmmm...I know I read that, but for some reason I don’t remember it all that much.  I retract my prior statement.

BATMAN BEYOND #7 by DAN JURGENS & STEPHEN THOMPSON

The sun rises on a new day in BATMAN BEYOND! With the threat of Brother Eye finally gone, Tim Drake is a man lost in time and without a mission. But now that he finally has the opportunity to explore this new Gotham City, he may find it just as dark as ever beneath its shiny new surface. And what Justice League secret does Matt McGinnis think will be unlocked with Green Lantern’s severed hand? Guest artist and FUTURES END veteran Stephen Thompson kicks things off in this prologue to “City of Yesterday”!

Mike: Matt’s secret?  He’s really Bruce Wayne.  SWERVE!

Grey: *Russo voice* See, Tim, he thinks he’s the Batman because he’s got the suit, right? But he doesn’t know that Terry and his brother are clones of Batman! So we’re gonna do this big reveal where the kid gives him a look and says “I’m the Goddamn Batman”, and you’ll know it’s true because the font will look gravely! And everyone will be surprised because Batman is just a kid! No one will see it coming, just like the Goldberg heel turn!

 

GOTHAM BY MIDNIGHT #12 by RAY FAWKES & JULIO FERREIRA

FINAL ISSUE

The final battle for the soul of Gotham City begins, and The Spectre might be facing more than just the ancient spirit called Ikkondrid. What will Corrigan and the Midnight Shift do if they discover that The Spectre is on the wrong side of this fight after all?

Mike: Another last issue that doesn’t surprise me.  Kind of a shame.  Gotham by Midnight seemed to finally have started to find it’s footing after Convergence, but now it’s ending.

 

CATWOMAN #47 by FRANK TIERI & INAKI MIRANDA

Catwoman is back in action! Leaving the mob behind, Selina is on the prowl again. When she gets wind of what might be the biggest score of her life, she’ll need to remind everyone just who is the greatest thief around.

Mike: Seriously??  A year of lead up in Batman Eternal, and now she’s done being head of Gotham’s crime family.  WTF??

Grey: What a waste.

 

GREEN LANTERN #47 by ROBERT VENDITTI & MARTIN COCCOLO

Hal Jordan returns to Earth at last! Just in time, too, as the threat of the villain called Sonar is heard!

Grey: Screw this book, where’s Lost Army?

Mike: That is actually a good question….did I miss it in the cutting and pasting?  Nope, just wasn’t listed.  Hopefully that was just a mistake and it will be in Previews next week.  Definitely one of my favorite books.  Lost Army, not this one...

 

SINESTRO #18 by CULLEN BUNN, BRAD WALKER and ANDREW HENNESSY

The Pale Bishop has awakened on Earth...and he might be more than the combined might of Sinestro and Black Adam can handle! As the influence of the Paling sweeps across the planet, the Sinestro Corps welcomes two unexpected (and powerful) visitors: Superman and Wonder Woman!

Mike: Sinestro and Black Adam Vs Superman and Wonder Woman?   SOLD!

 

BATMAN ‘66 #30 by LEE ALLRED & MICHAEL ALLRED

FINAL ISSUE

BATMAN ‘66 comes to a close as we unleash cover artist Michael Allred on the entire issue! Mobs of villains arrive in Gotham City for what appears to be a full-blown Criminal Convention. But one bad guy is not happy with how he’s being treated, and decides to tip off Batman and Robin. Will even this valuable bit of information be enough to help the Dynamic Duo overcome the overwhelming odds?

Mike: LAST ISSUE?   I had no idea they were ending this.  Though to be honest, I am amazed it lasted this long.  I am glad they finally got Allred to draw an entire issue. Ginchy.

 

INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US YEAR FOUR ANNUAL #1 by TOM TAYLOR & BRUNO REDONDO

Tom Taylor (EARTH 2, Superior Iron Man) returns to the series he launched for this one time special event that kicks off the story you’ll see in the upcoming INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US: YEAR 5. In his efforts to maintain world peace and wipe out crime, Superman has locked up all of Earth’s villains, as well as his enemies (including the Green Lantern Corps), in an undisclosed, impenetrable facility. Now, a surprising new prisoner may have discovered how to free himself and everyone else from this previously inescapable location.

Mike: Year 5?  Holy crap.  This series is never going to end.   I am not even sure what ever they can possible do with this one….

Grey: Well, the game takes place at the end of year five, so I’m assuming this is the last volume...barring a sequel to the game.

 

SENSATION COMICS FEATURING WONDER WOMAN #17 by TRINA ROBBINS &  CHRIS GUGLIOTTI

FINAL ISSUE

Diana’s compassion is tested when Dr. Barbara Minerva appears, begging for assistance as she seeks out the last remaining source of urzkatarga, the plant that supplies the serum that transforms her into the Cheetah. And if she can’t use it to replenish her supply, she’ll die. But when the Amazon princess/super-hero and the scientist/super-villain make their way to the “Island of Lost Souls,” they find more is at stake than expected!

Mike: Another last issue.  Sensation Comics is the first time I have ever really liked Wonder Woman.  I hope they are not replacing it with Wonder Woman ‘77.  That book was awful when I tried it.

 

LUCIFER #1 by HOLLY BLACK & LEE GARBETT

The anti-hero who made his debut in THE SANDMAN and starred in his own hit series is back in a new series by best-selling writer Holly Black (The Spiderwick Chronicles) and artist Lee Garbett (Loki)!

As this series begins, God is dead—and Gabriel has accused Lucifer of His murder. Lucifer had motive and opportunity, but claims he can prove his innocence. If Gabriel finds the killer and takes the culprit into custody, his sins will be forgotten, and he’ll be welcomed back to Silver City. So, despite the fact that Lucifer just opened a nightclub on Earth and is hiding a mysterious wound, the two brothers set off to solve their Father’s murder. Their investigation will span Heaven, Hell, Earth and beyond in this antagonistic buddy-cop noir with an angelic flair.

Mike: Looks like Lucifer is getting a makeover in time for the TV series.  Lucifer as a cop drama?  It seems like someone took the success of Gotham a little too seriously...I don’t see this comic or TV series lasting.

 

NEW ROMANCER #1 by PETER MILLIGAN & BRETT PARSON

Fired from a cushy job in Silicon Valley, Lexy becomes a coder for New Romancer, an Internet-dating app that’s seen better days. To create fake profiles, she plunders characteristics from history’s most notorious lovers. Using little-known writings by Ada Lovelace, the world’s first computer programmer, Lexy pushes the boundaries of coding and accidentally unleashes history’s greatest lover: Lord Byron. Online dating meets courtly love in this paranormal rom-com by Vertigo veteran writer Peter Milligan and rising art-star Brett Parson (Tank Girl).

Mike: A real departure for Peter Milligan.  Not normally my type of thing, but I will admit, I am definitely a little curious to check it out.