DC Solicitation Sneaks: November 2022
Above-the-Board Recommendation:
Wild C.A.T.s #’s 1&2:
This month is unofficially Geoff-vember, for reasons which I’ll get into after the break, but you could also make a case for calling it Wildstorm-vember if you really (really, really…) wanted to. That’s because the characters from the imprint founded by Jim Lee are getting a bigger push here than they have in years. Starting with the first two issues of the new “Wild C.A.T.s” series from writer Matthew Rosenberg and artist Stephen Segovia. Both are creators who came to prominence at Marvel, but have found more success in recent months at DC.
“Wild C.A.T.s” was the premiere title of the Wildstorm imprint when it launched at DC and it was essentially about a secret superhero team fighting in a covert war against the Daemonite and Kherubim alien races. That part of their history isn’t being brought up here as the solicitation text lets us know that this is a covert team backed by the HALO Corporation and led by Cole “Grifter” Cash who are determined to make a better world… no matter how many people they have to kill in order to make that happen! Given Rosenberg’s history, I imagine that last part is best said with tongue very firmly in cheek and his and Segovia’s involvement is enough to get my interest here. As is the fact that the solicitation text for issue #2 lets us know the team will be going up against one of the other major secret societies of the DCU: The Court of Owls. Which, if nothing else, is a clever match-up between such things.
The New Golden Age #1, Justice Society of America #1, Stargirl #1: Why is this month effectively Geoff-vember at DC? Because it marks the Hollywood production assistant, turned DC comics writer, turned Hollywood Exec, return to writing a number of titles at the publisher with three new comics out this month. “The New Golden Age” is billed as the start of the strangest mystery ever to plague the DCU, featuring Mime, Marionette, Rip Hunter and the Time Masters, and brand-new character… Nostalgia! Tying into that is “Justice Society of America” as the original superhero team returns as its very history comes under attack. Meanwhile, “Stargirl” sees the character tracking down a classic teen hero from the Golden Age only to find out they’re not the first such character to go missing.
While I didn’t read everything that Johns wrote during his first full-time stint in the DCU, I did enjoy the stuff I did. Particularly his “Green Lantern” run, though his “JSA” work was pretty solid as well. That he’s returning to the “Justice Society” could be seen as trying to relive past glory, the team has been out of commission for so long and the DCU has changed so much in the meantime that any simple attempt to ride on nostalgia’s coattails (note the lowercase-n, I don’t know if Nostalgia is going to play a part here) is going to fall flat. Johns has always been too smart to do just that. Which means I may have to check out the new “Justice Society of America” to see what he’s got in store.
Waller vs. Wildstorm #1 (of 4): However, if you’re determined to make this month Wildstorm-vember instead, you’re probably going to want to check out this miniseries. It features Jackson King, former head of Stormwatch, now the super-hero public face of Checkmate finding out that his old rival Adeline Kane is up to no good overseas. While King is all ready to cross the ocean and put a stop to her, there’s one factor here that’s going to complicate his plans in a major way. No points for guessing who that factor is. National Security reporter Spencer Ackerman co-writes with Evan Narcisse, and Eric Battle provides the art. Even if the creative team contains too many names I’m not familiar with, I’m willing to give this a shot because of the way it combines Wildstorm and DCU history in way that sounds immediately appealing.
Also being solicited as part of Wildstorm-vember is the Wildstorm 30th Anniversary Special. What makes this Special special? The fact that it not only includes reprints of the comics material from the “Wildstorm: A Celebration of 25 Years” hardcover, but brand new stories as well. A couple of which are almost certainly meant to tie into the new “Wild C.A.T.S.” and “Waller vs. Wildstorm” miniseries.
Batman & The Joker: Deadly Duo #’s 1&2 (of 7): One of the worst-kept secrets in comics for the past few years is that Marc Silvestri has been working on a “Batman” title for a while now. When I say “a while” I mean “for most of the past decade.” Seriously, he’s been working on it for so long that I never thought this was going to see the light of day. The fact that it’s finally being solicited here should mean that Silvestri has completed all seven issues and there won’t be any delays affecting the next five issues. As for what this miniseries is about, why nothing less than a team-up between the Dark Knight and Clown Prince of Crime! What could possibly have forced this partnership? The kidnapping of Harley Quinn and Jim Gordon, the latter of whom is having bits of himself cut off and mailed to the GCPD. Grim tidings indeed! If it sounds like I’m not taking this seriously, it’s because I honestly can’t see these two characters teaming up outside of some very special circumstances. What we’ve got here sounds like a kludge set up to make that happen. Then again, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the premise is suspect since Silvestri was never known for his writing. The man became a household name because of his art, and I’m expecting that this is going to be some all-time great work from the writer based on how long it has taken him to deliver this title.
Batman: One Bad Day – Mr. Freeze: Scott Snyder’s “Batman” run is undeniably great; but, if you were to ask me what its low point was, I’d have no problem telling you that it’s his (and James Tynion IV’s) reworking of Mr. Freeze’s origin. It’s a baffling rework that looks to have been based on the writers asking themselves, “What if we took everything that made the villain sympathetic, even tragic, and threw it all out so he came off as a disturbed creep instead?” I say this because, unless things have been changed in some other story I didn’t read, that’s the setup that Gerry Duggan and Matteo Scalera are going to have to work with here. It sure seems like it is as Victor Fries’ latest attempt to revive Nora takes place on a day so cold that he doesn’t need a suit. Robin is sympathetic to the man’s plight, but Batman warns against feeling sorry for him. For the reasons I’ve already outlined, I should imagine. Maybe Duggan and Scalera will find a way to make the character’s current origin make more sense, but I doubt I’ll be picking this up on its own. Maybe as part of a collection with the other “One Bad Day” one-shots should one ever materialize.
Nightwing #98: Nite-mite shows up, but that’s not important. What is is that current writer Tom Taylor’s “Seven Secrets” artist Daniele Di Nicuolo is illustrating this issue! Maybe he’s the new regular artist? I don’t know as the solicitation text is kind of vague here. This is important because Nicuolo is easily the best part of “Seven Secrets,” illustrating scenes with impressive detail, style, and flash. He’s so good that you wish that Taylor was writing a less trope-filled story that was worthy of his talents. Hopefully we’ll get the best of both worlds here, because…
Nightwing vol. 1: Leaping Into the Light: I’d heard a lot of good things about Taylor and Bruno Redondo’s run on this title. To the point where I was all ready to pick up the first volume. Until it came out in hardcover. Then I felt I could wait until the softcover edition finally arrived. Which it has, and now I’ll finally get to see if the hype is real. If it is, then I can settle in for the long wait for Nightwing vol. 2: Get Grayson, whose hardcover edition is solicited here.
Dark Crisis: Worlds Without a Justice League – Batman: While I remain indifferent to the “Dark Crisis” event as a whole, I suspect it will be worth it for the main story in this issue. That’s because it’s written by Simon Spurrier, features art from Ryan Sook, and has Batman stuck in a time loop trying to solve the mystery of his own existence. Coming from lesser writers, that setup would normally make me think that they’ve just got their head stuck too far up their own ass. In the case of an ambitious, adventurous type like Spurrier, it strikes me as his big chance to give a thesis statement of his own about the Dark Knight. I’ll either buy this issue on my own or the collection it’s a part of. That’s how much I want to read this story.
DCeased: War of the Dead Gods #4 (of 6): You know who this series has been missing up to this point? Lobo, that’s who! Brace yourself for the Main Man’s entrance into this intergalactic zombie battle as he’s likely to save the heroes at their darkest hour, while being an utter dick about it. Why? Because that’s how Lobo rolls, baby!
Justice League vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes: Is it Bendis’ final “Justice League” story, or his final “Legion of Super-Heroes” story? I don’t think I’ll be able to tell until I read it. What I can say for sure is that it’s the writer’s final story (for now) at DC as he’s got no future projects lined up with the publisher. I’d be sad about that if his tenure at DC hadn’t been such a mixed bag. If nothing else, it at least got him to deliver more of his creator-owned titles and we got some good Superman moments out of it. The less said about Leviathan, however, the better.
Suicide Squad: Blaze HC: Simon Spurrier re-teams with his “Hellblazer” collaborator Aaron Campbell for this story about ordinary convicts who are given powers by the top-secret Blaze program. They’re not the new Suicide Squad, but they are plenty expendable. What with their first mission involving them going after a cannibal with the powers of Superman. Squad regulars Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Peacemaker, and King Shark are on hand to keep the convicts in line, but you have to think that they’re not going to have to go after Cannibal Superman. Yet.
You all know I’m up for anything that Spurrier writes and this sounds like it could be grim, dark fun if it can nail the blackly comic vibe that the best “Squad” stories can deliver. Or it could be so dark that it goes off the rails, as Spurrier and Campbell’s “Hellblazer” did at its end. Regardless of whether or not “Blaze” sticks the landing, or sticks a knife in the reader’s heart (or both), I feel confident in stating that this will be more interesting to read than the last Black Label “Suicide Squad” story I picked up: “Get Joker!”