THE COUNTDOWN IS OVER! INFINITE CRISIS IS HERE! (Spoilers obv)

At least someone's getting something good out of this.

OMG SO BITTER

Fite!

My money's on Morrison in this matchup. He's wiry, he's aerodynamic and sleek, and there's been more insight in just about any single issue of SEVEN SOLDIERS than there has been in all of the IC fooferall that's been printed to date.

But maybe that's just me.

I read the Sacrifice story (3 Superman issues, one Wonder Woman) which came between OMAC 3 and 4.

SPOILER

They're the issues where Maxwell Lord fucks with Superman's head so that he beats the crap out of Batman, later the whole JLA. Then Wonder Woman goes toe-to-toe with Superman, and kills Maxwell Lord with the necksnappy.

SPOILER

They're quite well written in so far as if you hadn't read OMAC, you would get a great sense of unease as it became clear that what Superman thought was happening wasn't what was happening. Am I right in thinking that there isn't really a separate Action title, that people picking it up and hoping to have any grasp of the story will have to read the others? And what was happening in the Batman comics at this time?

Hmmmmmmmmmm............

While most publishers dread the next crisis, DC Comics spent the past two years planning one. Infinite Crisis, launching on october 12, stands as DC Comics's biggest, most-aggressive venture in 20 years. The seven-issue tale - penned by Geoff Johns, arguably the best superhero writer in the genre, and featuring art by Phil Jimenez, one of sequential art's most prolific and well-respected artists - will streamline the DC universe of heroes, villains, and stories, redefine the publisher's most well-known characters, and serve as a jumping-on point for new readers.

START THAT ARGUMENT RIGHT NOW!!!!

Is there a petition we can sign, to get him to stop writing comics?

xpost - it's not going to be a real long argument :)

Matt Mr. Published Funny Book Writer Sir: plz don't establish strawdood slapfights, esp. when you know folks here are either gonna go for A) SS or B) neither.

Andrew: the main Batbook is kinda knee-deep in the IC hoopla, tho not directly so; mostly, it's da betrayed Bat going "OMG JASON TODD!?!?!" while holding tweezers and/or getting kicked around by OMG JASON TODD?!?!?

And, um, could you (or someone else) plz clarify what yous meant by: "Am I right in thinking that there isn't really a separate Action title, that people picking it up and hoping to have any grasp of the story will have to read the others?" Because there is a separate Action title, and I just assumed that folks would need to read the other parts to understand what was happening. (That goes more for folks reading Return Of The OMAC than folks reading the 4-parter between Supes & Wonder Wrowrman.

Yes, you can! Tho I haven't tried it so much. It's defintely the best of the Supes books, tho. Best Supes / Lois characterization this side of Warren Ellis' story in Justice League Classified. Even if John Byrne seems to be drawing Lois and Jimmy a bit ... oddly. Be warned: Ms. Simone seems to be taking a few months off. (The Abnett / Lanning folks seems to be hoping on board in the meantime.)

Low points: (SPOILERRRRRS)
Incoherent six-issue magic-fest. What? Eh? And it doesn't end?
Incredibly dull space balls. Which doesn't end.
OMAC has an ending that makes even less sense than no sense - in fact it falls over about when one of the characters turns into an endlessly winking version of that computer woman from Superman III.

AND OF COURSE EVERYONE IS EITHER MASSIVELY INCOMPETENT OR A DICK.

OMAC not only has an army of killer robots, it also has mad PR skillz!! gasp!

I just know they are leading up to Wonder Woman dying so (a) she is "punished" for killing Max, (b) they can do a version of the Superman/Dead Supergirl "Nooooo!!1!11!!" cover from Original Crisis, (c) Batman and Superman will go "doh, we treated her like a dick but she was a TRUE HERO and so now we are inspired to kick some arse, oh yes." and (d) with Donna Troi back there are now three Wonder Wenches running round - too many! one must die!

I firmly believe Batman is all 'get out, ho' to her because he can't abide stupid people.

And there’s one more Green Lantern-related bit that I can add with certainty is that, in the future, Kyle will not be saying, “Great Guardians!” I read someone’s explanation as to why Kyle said that after the last interview I did here, where someone suggested that “Great Guardians!” was the power ring’s way of covering up profanity. After all, they’re Green Lanterns, so they can’t be going around the galaxy cursing in their own tongue, or the native tongue of the sector they’re in.

I liked it when Kyle said "Great Guardians!"

OMAC has taken over the Geoff Johns msg bds!

The Clock is ON.

CLOSED UNTIL INFINITE CRISIS #1 HITS TOMORROW - DO YOURSELF A FAVOR, RESIST IT, STAY OFF THE INTERNET UNTIL YOU READ #1 TOMORROW! GO HANG OUT WITH FRIENDS OR FAMILY FOR THE NIGHT!
(or better yet go play Halo or World of Warcraft)

HERE'S TO MAKING WEDNESDAYS FUN.

BEST,
EVERYONE AT THE COMIC BLOC

Batman gets hid back broken by Bane!!!

SPOILER***

Mild spoiler that gives away the tone of the entire comic -

Superman to Wonder Woman: "I just don't know who you are anymore!"

Though, y'know, ah, SPOILER, I guess. If they're bringing back Multple Supermans For Realz, that's I don't know, shitty, because the idea, as I understood it, behind the original Crisis on Superfluous Earths was to, you know, make sure that the characters were SPECIAL. Like, oh, there's 50 Supermanses running/flying/leaping around? So what's the big deal, then? Oh, there's only one, and he's the honest-to-gosh ONLY survivor of Krypton? Okay, now he is A STRANGE VISITOR FROM ANOTHER PLANET.

R1ch J0hnst0n disagrees in this weeks LitG. Somebody pointed out (it might have been on here, I can't remember) that prior to the last Crisis, Barry Allen had all his affairs put in order in the last issue by the ongoing writer of Flash, with a fill-in handling the issues during the Crisis. And what's just happened to Wally?

Though it did kickstart DC's most fertile creative period in my reading lifetime so fingers crossed eh?

As for IC! (as opposed to just plain IC being Identity Crisis - figure the exclamation appropriately conveys the excitement and gravity they're shooting for), it's just not all that good. It's not particularly terrible (though who the hell needs to ever see grim and gritty Bizarro ever in their lifetime?) Thing is, anyone who read the original Crisis knew what was going on by page 2, though perhaps not *why* it was going down that way, and had probably been waiting for it since 1985.

But there's not a lot of wonder or excitement in it for me, as opposed to the other DC crossover which has shown a lot of insight into the characters and has made me say "Wow! Neat!" at least once an issue. Though I have to admit, it's a tad uneven. Maybe more than a tad in spots.

Finally. Perez cover sooo much better than the Jim Lee cover.

WHITE TEMPLES ARE BACK, YO!

(I love that the writers who keep saying they're doing this to return the DCU back to the light are the ones making the current DCU more miserable than it has ever been. I mean, Asshole Batman: "Oh Superman, you never inspired anyone since Doomsday put you in the whole" - at a minimum, there, Bruce, ignoring Grant's whole JLA run…)

By the time the Original Crisis was over, whatever ACTUAL relevance it may have promised was forgotten in the wake of Alan Moore and Frank Miller, whose Superhero COLD WAR EPICS cast long shadows over capes and tights. Stallone and Bronson (not to mention Travis Bickle) begot Wolverine and Punisher and ANTI HEROES WERE HEROES, which is pretty much the story of superheroing for the next 15 years.

Identity Crisis and its immediate aftermath, for all its amazingly poor scripting (seriously, I'll frigging annotate it sometime), reflected the current age of cynicism and mistrust of authority. "You mean good guys played dirty tricks and probably made the bad guys even more evil and vengeful?"

The iterated intent of Infinite Crisis is supposedly to establish a new era of heroism, and possibly even (as claimed by a Nerdsarama nerditorial) set an example!!! "Batman will stop being a dick" says Mark Waid. B-b-but if at his Adam West most whitebread, Batman MUST be a dick! He's earned it! HE'S DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO BEING A DICK WHO HATES CRIME!

from nerdsarama:
Just as much as I’d love to see a return of wonder and weekly excitement in the world of comics, I’d love to see a return to a time when fans could just stop, smile at one another, and remember exactly why we’re fans. This moment, this acknowledgement that a medium we love is still strong after 70 years, should be a celebration. And if we could take five minutes to remember why comics are special to us, rather than why this or that thing has let us down again, I think our level of discourse would rise. I want the fan community to be a community of friends who sometimes disagree, and less a community of antagonists who sometimes get along. If that seems naïve or old-fashioned, so be it. Sometimes, it’s good to remember what came before, or what came first, just so we can also remember why we came here in the first place: our love of the boundless possibilities of comics.

MEANWHILE...
THE ORIGINAL SUPERMAN IS BACK TO SHOW US WHAT TO DO??? What kind of Reaganist antihistory antireality BS is this? Are mainstream comics making their final ULTIMATE withdrawal from relavance?

The new DCU is just going to be a whitewashed, puny granola version of GM's JLA comics, isn't it?

And, yeah, it was "cool", and it made me slap my head. All the carnage looks nice, at least. And it's really too bad (cough) that Harbinger was offed in that awful Supergirl arc of Superman / Batdick, as I'm really hoping for a heartwarming CRISIS reunion.

I was expecting something cool! The return of Classic Socialist Flavour Supes to save the day. I wasn't expecting Godspell Luthor, Aged Pillbox Hat Lois and the bloody Superboy of Earth Prime.

Old Lois is going to give a huge lecture on the TRUE MEANING of what it MEANS to BE the GIRLFRIEND of a HERO ie do your damnedest to inveigle your boif into marriage while at the same time using every dirty trick you know to expose all his deepest secrets to the world and having a string of Britney-style five-minute failed marriages with villains.

Maybe DC's giving Ye Olde Fans one more Happy Ending before they lock the doors, change the number and start catering to the New Breed. Or maybe that's just Wishful Thinking.

If someone can explain what all the hootey was in the DC Crisis: Return of Mr. Hotness Donna Troy re: Ms. Troy's 15 other lives and her being HARBINGER and the Anti-Monitor's HARBINGER and Phil J's game attempt to consolidate all that handjive into something that's worth a fnart, I'll kill you.

I'll be donating $24 for the remaining 6 issues so 1) Phil J. gets on Wizard's Top 10 and 2) I can continue to hate myself.

I just read spec that the RED CAPED (which, yeah, considering JLA #120, was a rescuer, not a blowderupper) is the Superman from whatever dimension/plane/EATHR/RKOYPTN that the Other Luthor (from Vills U.) is from, since, y'know, the Earth-2 Luthor was demonstrably killderized in the O.C.
My guess is that all these EXTRA FOLKS is from that place where Donna Troy was the Dark Angel or whatever. I think it was Earth-5.

(and surely the answer is "no")

So is Infinite Crisis really just a big excuse for Geoff Johns to make a major story for his superhero crush?

Oy.

Wolfman OTM!

Of course the "had to kill him or he'd Mind Control Superman" argument was rejected by the US Supreme Court in 1988's RED WRANGLER vs STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA case, but scholars seem to think that precedent is about ripe to be overturned.

The failure of the Injustice Gang and the Gotham City experiments did nothing to daunt Luthor's ambition. He redoubled his activities in Metropolis where he was transforming one of the run down suburbs into the "Hyper Sector", a high tech wonderland where Lexcorp ran everything. He even bought the Daily Planet and moved it into the Hyper Sector as an online news provider called Lexcom. But he eventually grew tired of that particular venture and agreed to sell the Daily Planet back to Perry White for a single dollar. The deal was brokered by Lois Lane, with the secret condition that she would kill one future story of his choosing.

Shortly afterwards Metropolis was transformed by the B13 virus. It was only defeated when Superman managed to trap B13 inside a knockoff Warsuit that Luthor had constructed. But B13 managed to escape by making a Faustian bargain with Luthor. Lex agreed to free B13 and to handover Brainiac 2.5 (who was possessing the body of Lena) and in exchange Luthor kept the future city and its entire technological specification. Privately Luthor grieved the loss of his daughter, but he had gained something far more important - power! The futuristic B13 technology was now the sole preserve of Lexcorp. It promised to revolutionise almost every aspect of day to day life and sent Luthor's personal rocketing.

Calculated public used of B13 resources and staged assassination attempts pushed Luthor's public profile to an all time high. He used the wave of popularity to announce his intention to run for the Presidency of the United States and surprised many when he choose Senator Pete Ross as his running mate. Ross was a salt of the Earth family man and had exactly the type of wholesome image that Luthor needed to project to middle America. Ironically Ross's wife, Lana, had once been kidnapped and tortured by Lexcorp operatives who were trying to discover her connection with Superman (Pete and Lana had been the high-school friends of Clark Kent).

Luthor won the election by a landslide and immediately began enacting his campaign promises. He formerly recognised the nation of Atlantis and agreed increased government backing for the Justice League. Luthor chose a populist cabinet that included General Sam Lane (Secretary for Defence), Amanda Waller (Secretary of Metahuman affairs), Jefferson Peirce (alias Black Lightning, Secretary of Education), General Frank Rock (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs) and Cat Grant (Press Liaison). To avoid any complications with Lexcorp Luthor stepped down and appointed Talia Head as the interim CEO.

xpost

FRANK ROCK = SGT. ROCK?!?!??!

WTF

NO WAY!!!!!

Just like in real life!

but animal man's wife and children were murdered in the original "happy" run!

Anyway, just thumbed through Infinite Crisis #2 - spoiler - so the idea is to bring back the nice old DC? Ha ha, let's see how long that lasts before some genius has Lana Lang gang raped by the Villains United when the sales dip in '07.

When I was reading comics in the late 80s I remember being a bit disturbed by the way 'sexual threat to female character' was a shorthand way of establishing a dark situation. I particularly remember the first Genosha story where Rogue lost her powers and got molested, and the story where Kraven shoots Spiderman and there's a long almost-rape sequence with Mary Jane and some thugs in a dark alley, actually dark-alley threatened-rape sequences were an 80s stock in trade.

Just a though (not sure if I agree w/ it or not): Douglas suggests that BM & IC view the idea of heroism as a played-out trope, but maybe it's not heroism itself that IC is pissing on, but all the tropes that surround & typify superheroism & spandex exploits - the 'sexual threat to female character', the unresolved conflicts w/ regular nemeses, the conveniently unexploited threats to loved ones by these nemeses, all the implicit mores and "rules" that were established when these characters were created 70+ years ago - that BM & IC are attempting to deflate. Or, um, inflate and exploit to a disturbing degree.

Whoa whoa whoaaaaa! Is this for real? What is the context for this? Is this actually from a recent DC comic?

Anyway, re: I!C #2, GREAT SHADES OF ZERO HOUR IN THE MORNING!!!

Just read IC!#2. Am I the only one who finds the direction the event is taking incredibly reactionary?. I find Golden Age Superman a patronising dick who only wants to go back to the "good old days". And that is what "being a hero" means???. I should be happy with the prospect of DC recognising the-rape-and-death-of-innocent-characters as something bad and innecesary, but all the seriousness and the self righteous anger just turn me completely off. Shouldn't comics be fun?.

oh no! think of the children! we must update "seduction of the innocent" for the new millennium!

is Outsiders actually aimed at children? isn't it supposed to be a bit "edgy" and "adult"? if it was included in the "teen titans go" or "sccoby doo" comic you might (just about) have a point.

re IC 2 - more like "Infinite Exposition"

I take issue with that kind of crap being intended for "adults." It's meant for dim-witted Cheeto-stained manchildren, and we all know it.

Someone needs to read The Ultimates!

1) No doubt a huge chunk of the readership is on the old side of 20.

2) For kids (12-13), "banging your sister" is comparatively tame. (I base this insight on the potty mouth I had when I was a wee lad.)

(& where is it)

You have to register to post, and I did so about a year ago when I still had Green Lantern fever. A healthy number of "creators" post there, including Greg Rucka (who even has his own section).

Having shamefully yet shamelessly bought IC #2, it's blatant that Old-Supes is the big villain.

And The Outsiders thing, it's just a cheeky bit of fun, eh?

old supes will the bad guy unwittingly and then realize what's what and save the day - maybe sacrificing himself, maybe teaming up with plain ol supes and telling him 'i was wrong about you, you're the REAL superman' or some crap like that. i'm thinking maybe good alexander luthor has become bad. joker clearly will play a large part in inadvertantly beating the baddies.

*I am quite keen on asking some of the rabid DC Boards types** "Hi, I'm a newbie, which issues of the Earth-2 Superman should I get?"

**and for all his badness as I said upthread GJ really has hooked onto a 'dilemma' that polarises fans in a way that erm Parallax did not. There is a vocal minority saying "Hold on, E2S is RIGHT!"

MA is saying that stories with dark conflicted and unheroic heroes should not be assumed to be more adult or realistic.

Or to put it in ILM terms:

E2S: "Miserable indie is all rubbish."

MA: "People shouldn't think indie is better just because it's miserable."

Wow, maybe they SHOULD do Intimate Crisis.

That said, it was the first thing I read this week. Part of me can't believe that they'd be this blatant and I'm waiting for the left hook, but part of me says it's never gonna come.

Actually what's the fighting Wonder Women in that page about?

&, yeah, the 2nd issue wasn't so bad. OK, I liked it, damn you. Though, if they're actually gonna try to suck in new readers with this thing, how about EXPLAINING THE ENTIRE CRISIS CRAP THING in the FIRST ISSUE?

Also: Power Girl got thighs like WHAT?

Hawkman changes its title to Hawkgirl with issue #50 as a part of the publisher’s “One Year Later…” event. The series will also be getting a creative team change, with Walt Simonson coming on board as writer and Howard Chaykin joining as penciler (marking the first return of both to mainstream, ongoing DCU work in years – and the first time in years that the two former studio mates will be working together).

Earth-2 Superman, in his new guise as Panti-Monitor, is at the Dawn of Time, about to collapse the current DCU Earth so that he can replace it with his corny-ass Joe Staton-drawn Earth-2 (i love Joe Staton, but that doesn't mean Earth-2 isn't corny-assed). Current-DCU Superman, Unca Sam, Starfire, Nightwang, Waverider, Eclipso, Donny Troy, Air Wave, Green OLD MAN PANTS Lantern and Dr. Polaris are a crumpled mess at his feet. All of a sudden an ELECTRIC SCARLET CRACKLE ERUPTS FROM THE WAVES OF PANTI-MATTER, and the Flash appears, knocks the Infinity Gems out of Old Supes hands and realigns the DC Universe.
"You got here just in time, Wally," Nightwang says, pulling up his pants.
"Thanks, Dickie, but I'm not Wally!"
The Flash pulls back his red cowl to reveal...MARTHA WAYNE!!!

* - This may be sarcasm.

Also also: All-Star Superman!!!!!!

DC COMICS SOLICITATIONS FOR MARCH 2006

BATMAN

BATMAN: SECRETS #1
Written by Sam Kieth
Art and cover by Kieth
The Dark Knight faces off against his most villainous adversary — The Joker — in this 5-issue miniseries written and illustrated by Sam Kieth (SCRATCH, The Maxx)!
Kieth weaves a dark tale of violence and mayhem, and how heroes are treated by the media and viewed by the public. As Batman and The Joker face off, their confrontation is inadvertently caught on film — and Gotham's protector appears to be pummeling Joker without mercy, much to the delight of the frenzied press! Plus, a secret from young Bruce Wayne's past is revealed!
On sale March 1 • 1 of 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US Edited by Scott Dunbier

DETECTIVE COMICS #817
Written by James Robinson
Art by Leonard Kirk & Andy Clarke
Cover by Simone Bianchi
It’s One Year Later…and who is the mysterious vigilante who’s been keeping Gotham free of crime? And what is his relationship with the new police commisioner? Don’t miss the stunning first part of a story crossing over with BATMAN by writer James Robinson (JSA: THE GOLDEN AGE, HAWKMAN, STARMAN), art team Leonard Kirk (JSA) & Andy Clarke, and cover artist Simone Bianchi (SEVEN SOLDIERS: SHINING KNIGHT)!
On sale March 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

BATMAN #651
Written by James Robinson
Art by Don Kramer & Keith Champagne
Cover by Simone Bianchi
It’s One Year Later…and who’s responsible for the murder of another Gotham villain? And what fateful decision must Batman make that could change his relationship with Robin forever? Join writer James Robinson (JSA: THE GOLDEN AGE, HAWKMAN, STARMAN), artists Don Kramer & Keith Champagne (JSA) and cover artist Simone Bianchi (SEVEN SOLDIERS: SHINING KNIGHT) for a turning point in the life of the Dark Knight in Part 2 of a 6-part story continued from DETECTIVE COMICS #817!
On sale March 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

BATMAN ANNUAL #25
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Shane Davis & Mark Morales
Cover by Jock
The secret behind the return of Jason Todd is revealed! Join writer Judd Winick (BATMAN, THE OUTSIDERS, GREEN ARROW), artists Shane Davis (BATMAN, ROBIN) & Mark Morales (New Avengers) and cover artist Jock (BATMAN covers, THE LOSERS) for the compelling story behind the Red Hood’s origin and mysterious return to Gotham! Find out how the former Robin survived “A Death in the Family” to become one of the Batman’s deadliest adversaries.
On sale March 8 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US

CATWOMAN #53
Written by Will Pfeifer
Art by David Lopez & Alvaro Lopez
Cover by Adam Hughes
It’s One Year Later…and why is Selina Kyle no longer Catwoman? For that matter, why is she no longer named Selina Kyle? The new art team of David Lopez (FALLEN ANGEL, WONDER WOMAN) & Alvaro Lopez (Breach, Batgirl: Year One) joins series writer Will Pfeifer as the Catwoman you know is irrevocably changed, and a new member joins the cast — one that’s certain to shock you!
On sale March 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

NIGHTWING #118
Written by Bruce Jones
Art by Joe Dodd & Bit
Cover by Jock
It’s One Year Later…and why is Nightwing hiding out in New York City? Spinning out the events of Infinite Crisis, new writer Bruce Jones (Vigilante, THE Warlord) is joined by the art team of Joe Dodd (Human Torch) & Bit (BATMAN: Gotham Knights) and cover artist Jock (BATMAN covers, THE LOSERS) to bring you a Nightwing like you’ve never seen before!
On sale March 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

ROBIN #148
Written by Adam Beechen Art by Karl Kerschl
Cover by Ed McGuinness & Dexter Vines
It’s One Year Later…and why is the Boy Wonder wanted for murder? Don’t miss the debut of the new creative team of writer Adam Beechen (JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED), artist Karl Kerschl (ACTION COMICS) and cover artists Ed McGuinness & Dexter Vines (SUPERMAN/BATMAN)!
On sale March 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

ROBIN: TO KILL A BIRD TP
Written by Bill Willingham
Art by Damion Scott, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Scott McDaniel, Pop Mhan, Sandra Hope and Andy Owens
Cover by Chris Brunner
It's a brand new start for Robin in this collection featuring ROBIN #134-139! Before our hero can fully recover from the recent deaths of his father and Spoiler, he must come face-to-face with the Penguin, the Dark Rider, the Veteran, and a mysterious archer who seems to want Robin dead!
Advance-solicited; on sale April 5 • 144 pg, FC, $14.99 US

BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #201 & 202
Written by Christos N. Gage
Art by Ron Wagner & Bill Reinhold
Cover by Ariel Olivetti
LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT ships twice in March for the start of the 3-part “Cold Case,” written by Christos N. Gage (DEADSHOT, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) with art by Ron Wagner (DAY OF VENGEANCE) & Bill Reinhold (Earth X) and cover art by Ariel Olivetti (SPACE GHOST)!
A journalist has researched the identity of the Gotham Ripper, a mad serial killer — and the evidence points to Thomas Wayne! Can Batman clear his father’s name? Things get more confusing when the journalist turns up dead!
Issue #201 on sale March 15; Issue #202 on sale March 29 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

BATMAN: JOURNEY INTO KNIGHT #8
Written by Andrew Helfer
Art by Tan Eng Huat
Cover by Pat Lee
Things are really heating up in Gotham City! When a series of mysterious fires sweeps through a run-down neighborhood, Batman investigates…only to come face-to-face with the arsonist — a 12-year-old boy?
On sale March 29 • 8 of 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

BATMAN AND THE MONSTER MEN #5
Written by Matt Wagner
Art and cover by Wagner
The action and intrigue come to a head as mobsters and mutants converge in the nightmares of the World’s Greatest Detective! Will Batman’s strength be enough to defend both his city and the woman he loves?
On sale March 8 • 5 of 6 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

BATMAN: YEAR ONE HUNDRED #2
Written by Paul Pope
Art and cover by Pope
Paul Pope’s amazing tale of a future Gotham continues! Detective Gordon has discovered 100 years’ worth of suppressed police evidence related to the Batman. Why has this masked mystery returned from the shadows just when Gotham City begins falling to pieces?
On sale March 15 • 2 of 4 • Prestige Format • 48 pg, FC, $5.99 US

BATMAN: DARK DETECTIVE TP
Written by Steve Englehart
Art by Marshall Rogers & Terry Austin
Cover by Rogers
Don’t miss this 144-page collection featuring the 6-issue miniseries reuniting one of the great Batman creative teams of the 1970s! In DARK DETECTIVE, The Joker enters a gubernatorial election using the campaign slogan "Vote for me or I'll kill you!" Will it persuade voters?
Advance-solicited; on sale April 12 • 144 pg, FC, $14.99 US

NIGHTWING: MOBBED UP TP
Written by Devin Grayson
Art by Phil Hester, Cliff Chiang and Ande Parks
Cover by Hester & Parks
Dick Grayson is a made man in this trade paperback collecting NIGHTWING #107-111! Ex-cop Grayson feels his life spiral out of control after being adopted into one of New York City’s crime families. Can he escape this new odyssey into the depths of the criminal underworld?
On sale March 29 • 128 pg, FC, $12.99 US

GOTHAM CENTRAL: UNRESOLVED TARGETS TP
Written by Greg Rucka & Ed Brubaker
Art by Michael Lark & Stefano Gaudiano Cover by Lark
An amazing collection featuring the acclaimed GOTHAM CENTRAL #12-15 and #19-22! The Joker terrorizes the city at Christmastime when he begins randomly executing people with a rifle, and no one from the Mayor on down is safe! A second story focuses on an old case and unfinished business for disgraced detective Harvey Bullock.
Advance-solicited; on sale April 26 • 192 pg, FC, $14.99 US

SUERMAN

ALL STAR SUPERMAN #3
Written by Grant Morrison
Art and cover by Frank Quitely
The All Star adventures of the Man of Steel take another startling turn when Lois Lane transforms from Superman’s girlfriend into a Kryptonian Superwoman! Meanwhile, Lex Luthor’s plans simmer as the criminal mastermind exerts his charisma and intellect over the hardcore inmates who share his maximum-security prison.
On sale March 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

SUPERMAN #650
Written by Geoff Johns & Kurt Busiek
Art by Pete Woods
Cover by Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson
It’s One Year Later…and Metropolis prepares to bid farewell to a hero! Join writers Geoff Johns (INFINITE CRISIS, TEEN TITANS) & Kurt Busiek (ASTRO CITY, SUPERMAN: SECRET IDENTITY, JLA/AVENGERS), artist Pete Woods (CATWOMAN) and cover artists Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson (HARLEY QUINN, Marvel Knights: Spider-Man) for Part 1 of “Up, Up and Away,” an 8-part story crossing over with ACTION COMICS! Retailers please note: ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN has been re-titled SUPERMAN beginning with issue #650.
On sale March 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

ACTION COMICS #837
Written by Geoff Johns & Kurt Busiek
Art by Pete Woods
Cover by Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson
It’s One Year Later…and whos tagged Clark Kent as a target? The 8-part “Up, Up and Away” continues as writers Geoff Johns & Kurt Busiek (ASTRO CITY, SUPERMAN: SECRET IDENTITY, JLA/AVENGERS) join forces with artists Pete Woods (CATWOMAN) and cover artist Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson (HARLEY QUINN, Marvel Knights: Spider-Man)!
On sale March 29 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

SUPERGIRL #7
Written by Greg Rucka
Art and cover by Ian Churchill
It’s one year later…and Kara and Power Girl have become the dynamic duo of the bottle city of Kandor as the new Flamebird and Nightwing! Don’t miss the debut of new series writer Greg Rucka (WONDER WOMAN, THE OMAC PROJECT) and artist Ian Churchill!
On sale March 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

SUPERMAN/BATMAN #25
Written by Jeph Loeb
Art and cover by
Ed McGuinness & Dexter Vines
The original team supreme of Jeph Loeb, Ed McGuinness & Dexter Vines presents “The End”! “With a Vengeance” comes to its shattering conclusion, where villains are revealed and answers to questions that go back to issue #1 are laid bare. It’s Superman and Batman versus Darkseid and Lex Luthor — while the mysterious puppet master plays them all. Talk about a crisis! Retailers please note: This issue is resolicited; all previous orders are cancelled. This issue will feature two covers by Ed McGuinness & Dexter Vines in a split of approximately 50/50.
Resolicited; on sale March 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

SUPERMAN ARCHIVES VOL. 7 HC
Written by Don Cameron, Jerry Siegel, Bill Finger and others
Art by Joe Shuster, Fred Ray, George Roussos and others
Cover by Ray
The Golden Age of Superman hits its stride in SUPERMAN ARCHIVES VOL. 7, reprinting SUPERMAN #25-29 (1943-1944)! With World War II heating up, Superman fights subversion and sabotage at home while foiling villains like the Toyman and the Prankster.
Advance-solicited; on sale April 26 • 240 pg, FC, $49.99 US

SHOWCASE PRESENTS THE SUPERMAN FAMILY VOL. 1 TP
Written by Otto Binder
Art by Curt Swan, Ruben Moreria, Ray Burnley and others
Cover by Swan & Stan Kaye
The super-affordable Showcase collections continue with a volume spotlighting Superman's girlfriend Lois Lane and pal Jimmy Olsen, collecting the first 22 issues of SUPERMAN'S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN and Lois's first solo outing from SHOWCASE #9!
On sale March 15 • 576 pg, B&W, $16.99 US

SUPERMAN IN THE EIGHTIES TP
Written and illustrated by various
Cover by John Byrne
Don’t miss this collection of tales from the ‘80s, reprinted from ACTION COMICS #507-508, 554, 595, 600 (select stories), 644, SUPERMAN #408, DC COMICS PRESENTS #29, and ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #430! Artist/writer Jerry Ordway provides the introduction and context for this latest addition to DC's "Decades" library.
Advance-solicited; on sale April 5 • 192 pg, FC, $19.99 US

SUPERMAN: RUIN REVEALED TP
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by Karl Kerschl, Darryl Banks and Adam DeKraker
Cover by Kerschl
Another trade paperback collecting Greg Rucka’s run on ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, including issues #640-641and 644-647! Ruin, the man who has been out to destroy Superman and his loved ones, is revealed to be someone near and dear to him!
Advance-solicited; on sale April 12 • 144 pg, FC, $14.99 US

DC UNIVERSE

INFINITE CRISIS #6
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Phil Jimenez & Andy Lanning
Covers by Jim Lee & Sandra Hope and George Pérez
Which events in this continuing epic will lead us to One Year Later? What worlds live? Which hero dies? Retailers please note: This issue will ship with covers by Lee & Hope (approximately 50%) and Pérez (approximately 50%).
On sale March 8 • 6 of 7 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

THE OMAC PROJECT: INFINITE CRISIS SPECIAL
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by Jesus Saiz
Cover by Ladrönn
The end is just the beginning in this epic spy thriller by the team behind the red-hot OMAC PROJECT miniseries! From the pages of INFINITE CRISIS, the legacy of Brother Eye rains down on earth, threatening exposure of a hero’s greatest secret and the dawning of a world war!
On sale March 22 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US

AQUAMAN: SWORD OF ATLANTIS #40
Written by Kurt Busiek
Art and cover by Butch Guice
It’s One Year Later…and Aquaman has totally changed! Join the new creative team of Kurt Busiek (ASTRO CITY, JLA) and Butch Guice (JLA CLASSIFIED) for the start of an amazing new undersea adventure!
On sale March 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

BIRDS OF PREY #92
Written by Gail Simone
Art by Paulo Siqueira & Robin Riggs
Cover by Terry & Rachel Dodson
It’s One Year Later…and the Birds have a new mission — with a new lineup that will shock you! Don’t miss new art team Paulo Siqueira (Lady Death: Lost Souls) & Robin Riggs (JSA, SUPERGIRL) as they join acclaimed writer Gail Simone for a turning point in the history of the Birds of Prey!
On sale March 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

BLOOD OF THE DEMON #13
Written by John Byrne & Will Pfeifer
Art by Byrne & Dan Green
Cover by Byrne
It’s One Year Later…and two Etrigans are battling the Lord of the Damned!
On sale March 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

BIZARRO WORLD SC
Written and illustrated by Tony Millionaire, Kyle Baker, Dylan Horrocks, Eddie Campbell, Harvey Pekar, James Kochalka, Gilbert Hernandez, Peter Bagge and others
Cover by Jaime Hernandez
A heaping slab of great comics featuring Bizarro by a who’s-who of fantastic comic artists and writers! It's big! It's indisputably rectangular! It stays crunchy even in milk!
Advance-solicited; on sale April 26 • 200 pg, FC, $19.99 US

CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN: STOLEN MOMENTS, BORROWED TIME TP
Written and illustrated by Howard Chaykin
Cover by Chaykin
Collecting the acclaimed 6-issue miniseries by Howard Chaykin! In a world devoid of super-heroes, five extraordinary people who survived a cataclysmic event will discover that the world we live in is not the one we believe it to be.
On sale March 29 • 144 pg, FC, $16.99 US

BLUE BEETLE #1
Written by Keith Giffen & John Rogers
Art and cover by Cully Hamner
Keith Giffen (FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE JUSTICE LEAGUE) and hot screenwriter John Rogers (Catwoman) team with Cully Hamner (RED, BATMAN: TENSES) to bring back the Beetle! Tearing its way through the events of DAY OF VENGEANCE and INFINITE CRISIS, the mystical Blue Beetle scarab has chosen its new guardian! But supernatural powers can be a blessing or a curse, and when it comes to the powers of the Scarab, you don’t get one without the other.
On sale March 29 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MAN #23
Written by Stuart Moore
Art by Jamal Igle & Keith Champagne
Cover by Brian Stelfreeze
It’s One Year Later…and Firestorm must stop a deadly nuclear accident and a threat to his very existence! And more importantly, just who was behind this “accident”?
On sale March 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

GREEN ARROW #60
Written by Judd Winick
Art and cover by Scott McDaniel & Andy Owens
It’s One Year Later, and Ollie Queen is the newly elected mayor of Star City, fighting the good fight on the streets and through the system! And welcome aboard the dynamic new art team of Scott McDaniel and Andy Owens (NIGHTWING, ROBIN)!
On sale March 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

GREEN LANTERN #10
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Ivan Reis & Marc Campos
Cover by Simone Bianchi
It’s One Year Later…and Hal Jordan is about to embark on one of his greatest challenges ever! Join acclaimed writer Geoff Johns (INFINITE CRISIS) and new series art team Ivan Reis & Marc Campos (ACTION COMICS, RANN/THANAGAR WAR) for Part 1 of “Revenge of the Green Lanterns!” Who is the Grandmaster of the Manhunters? What is the Igneous Man? Where is Sinestro? And why will the most unlikely of sons become one of Hal Jordan's greatest enemies?
On sale March 29 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

GREEN LANTERN: NO FEAR HC
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Carlos Pacheco, Ethan Van Sciver, Darwyn Cooke and others
Cover by Alex Ross
A new hardcover collecting GREEN LANTERN #1-6 and GREEN LANTERN SECRET FILES #1! Hal Jordan is back from the dead — now watch as he re-establishes his life as a pilot. Standing in his way, though, is one of the deadly Manhunter androids followed by the Shark.
Advance-solicited; on sale April 19 • 176 pg, FC, $24.99 US

HARD TIME SEASON TWO #4
Written by Steve Gerber & Mary Skrenes
Art by Brian Hurtt & Steve Bird
Cover by Hurtt
It’s all about Cindy. The sweet “girl” of the penitentiary has some secrets of her own and may not be as good as she seems. Because when she’s bad…watch out!
On sale March 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

HAWKGIRL #50
Written by Walter Simonson
Art and cover by Howard Chaykin
It’s One Year Later…and Hawkgirl is out to make a name for herself in St. Roché! New villains and new threats, all brought to you by the team of writer Walter Simonson (Orion, ELRIC: THE MAKING OF A SORCEROR) and artist Howard Chaykin (American Flagg,
CITY OF TOMORROW)!
On sale March 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

JONAH HEX #5
Written by Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti
Art by Luke Ross
Cover by Brian Bolland
It’s 130 years ago…and the world's ugliest bounty hunter faces off against the deadliest combination known to mankind: nuns with guns!
On sale March 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

MANHUNTER #20
Written by Marc Andreyko
Art by Javier Pina & Fernando Blanco
Cover by Jesus Saiz
It’s One Year Later…and Manhunter’s shocking new strategy makes her infamous in the eyes of heroes and villains alike!
On sale March 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

JLA CLASSIFIED #18 & 19
Written by Gail Simone
Art by José Luis García López & Klaus Janson
Cover by García López
The 6-part story “The Hypothetical Woman” continues! In Part 3, the toxic giant Chemo threatens to start an ecological disaster that only the JLA can stop. But with the team stretched thin uncovering the mystery behind General Tuzik's Conquerer Strain, will they be able to get it together in time?
And in Part 4, General Tuzik unleashes his team of Hypotheticals to further his plans of world domination, putting the JLA in a difficult position. In order to stop him, they'll have to declare war!
Issue #18 on sale March 15; issue #19
on sale March 29 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

JSA #83
Written by Paul Levitz
Art by Rags Morales, Dave Meikis and Luke Ross
Cover by George Pérez
It’s One Year Later…and the JSA has been torn asunder! Legendary JSA writer Paul Levitz, award-winning artist Rags Morales (IDENTITY CRISIS, WONDER WOMAN) & inker Dave Meikis (HOURMAN) deliver a moving 5-part tale of heroes picking up the pieces of their lives as they face of against one of their deadliest enemies! Featuring flashback sequences illustrated by Luke Ross (JONAH HEX)!
On sale March 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

JSA CLASSIFIED #10
Written by Stuart Moore
Art and cover by Paul Gulacy & Jimmy Palmiotti
It’s One Year Later…and a dying Vandal Savage has crash-landed on Earth after the worst twelve months of his life. His last order of business? Revenge on Green Lantern! Don’t miss the Part 1 of a 4-part story written by Stuart Moore (FIRESTORM) with art by Paul Gulacy & Jimmy Palmiotti (CATWOMAN, YEAR ONE: BATMAN/RA’S AL GHUL)!
On sale March 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

SUPERGIRL AND THE LEGION OF THE SUPER-HEROES #16
Written by Mark Waid
Art and cover by Barry Kitson & Mick Gray
It’s 1,001 years later…and guess who’s joining the Legion of Super-Heroes? It’s just what you think…and nothing you expect!
On sale March 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

OUTSIDERS #34
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Matthew Clark & Art Thibert
Cover by Daniel Acuña
It’s One Year Later…and The Outsiders are finished. Done. No team by that name exists. Unless they’re coming for you…
On sale March 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

OUTSIDERS: CRISIS INTERVENTION TP
Written by Judd Winick and Jen Van Meter
Art by Matthew Clark, Dietrich Smith and Art Thibert
Cover by Daniel Acuña
A new volume collecting OUTSIDERS #29-33, plus select scenes from various DCU books, showing Donna Troy recruiting heroes for her mission! The Outsiders are left reeling following a betrayal by one of their members. They must face a rematch with the Fearsome Five and Sabbac, who now has the power of the Seven Deadly Sins!
Advance-solicited; on sale April 19 • 128 pg, FC, $12.99 US

SHOWCASE PRESENTS TEEN TITANS VOL. 1 TP
Written by Bob Haney, Marv Wolfman and Len Wein
Art by Nick Cardy, Bruno Premiani, Bill Molno, Irv Novick, Lee Elias, Bill Draut, Sal Trapani and Jack Abel
Cover by Cardy
The "Showcase" format continues with a volume collecting BRAVE AND THE BOLD #54, 60, SHOWCASE #59, and TEEN TITANS #1-18. Robin, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, and Aqualad unite for adventures only a teen team could handle!
Advance-solicited; on sale April 5 • 528 pg, B&W, $16.99 US

TEEN TITANS #34
Written by Geoff Johns
Art and cover by Tony Daniel & Sandra Hope
Variant cover by Ed Benes
One Year Later, it’s Part 1 of “The New Teen Titans!” A new year of exciting adventures begins with the “new” Teen Titans, the bizarre Doom Patrol and the mysterious and secretive Titans East! Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers by Tony Daniel & Sandra Hope and Ed Benes. Please see this month’s order form for details on the variant cover.
On sale March 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.50 US

SEVEN SOLDIERS: BULLETEER #4
Written by Grant Morrison
Art and cover by Yanick Paquette & Serge LaPointe
In the miniseries finale, the Bulleteer finally faces her husband’s mysterious online lover in an unforgettable battle to the death! Sally Sonic is an embittered British super-teen from the 1940s with the mind of a miserable 75-year-old woman trapped in an immortal 16-year-old body. Can Bulleteer survive her first slugfest, or could this be the tragic end of her career as a super-hero before it even begins?
A Soldier must die — will it be the Bulleteer?
On sale March 15 • 4 of 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

SEVEN SOLDIERS: FRANKENSTEIN #4
Written by Grant Morrison
Art and cover by Doug Mahnke
Frankenstein has tracked the swarming Sheeda to their lair — and what he finds will shock him! The truth about the villains is revealed at last as the Monster goes on a rampage the likes of which has never before been seen in comics. It’s Frankenstein vs. the Fairies — and the end of SEVEN SOLDIERS! This issue leads directly into April’s SEVEN SOLDIERS OF VICTORY #1, the mindblowing conclusion to this expansive saga!
A Soldier must die — will it be Frankenstein?
On sale March 29 • 4 of 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

SEVEN SOLDIERS: MR. MIRACLE #4
Written by Grant Morrison
Art and cover by Freddie Williams II
Ever wonder what life might have been like if you’d chosen a different path? The Omega Effect can take you there!
Join Shilo Norman, Super Escape Artist, as he faces the ultimate challenge! The Life Trap is here, and the only way out is in a box. Can Mr. Miracle beat the odds that say death is 100% certain? Find out in “Forever-Flavored Man” and prepare to witness…the Final Escape!
A Soldier must die — will it be Mr. Miracle?
On sale March 8 • 4 of 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

SEVEN SOLDIERS OF VICTORY VOL. 2 TP
Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Simone Bianchi, Cameron Stewart, Ryan Sook & Mick Gray and Frazer Irving
Cover by Stewart
The brilliant mind of Grant Morrison (THE INVISIBLES, JLA, ALL STAR SUPERMAN) is showcased once again as the collections of his most groundbreaking and ambitious project yet! Comprised of seven different 4-issue miniseries and two bookend Specials, this colossal 30-part tale of death, betrayal, failure, joy, loss, romance, triumph and redemption is being collected in 4 volumes!
This second volume features the continuing exploits of four of the seven soldiers, and collects KLARION #2-3, SHINING KNIGHT #3-4, GUARDIAN #3-4, and ZATANNA #3. Independently, each of these characters is featured in a story arc that redefines their purpose in the DCU. But their stories also interweave with the other Soldiers' tales, and tells a grander story of a devastating global threat to mankind. Together, these reluctant champions must arise and work together to save the world...without ever meeting one another!
On sale March 22 • 176 pg, FC, $14.99 US

SGT. ROCK: THE PROPHECY #3
Written by Joe Kubert
Art and cover by Kubert
Sgt. Rock and Easy Co. continue on their mission to bring “The Prophecy” to Estonia. After a harrowing shootout with a band of renegade Nazis, the combat-happy Joes of Easy Company and their precious cargo stumble upon a place they’ve never seen before — and one they won’t soon forget.
On sale March 22 • 3 of 6 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

THE WARLORD #2
Written by Bruce Jones
Art and cover by Bart Sears
The amazing new adventures of one of comics’ greatest fantasy heroes by Bruce Jones and Bart Sears continue! The brutal Prince Brovis means to conquer Shamballah, a kingdom in desperate need of a champion. The prophecy says a warrior will come…but could that warrior be a man from our world?
On sale March 29 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

JOHNNY DC

THE BATMAN STRIKES! #19
Written by Bill Matheny
Art by Christopher Jones & Terry Beatty
Cover by Dave McCaig
Solomon Grundy, smashes things on Monday! The first time we saw Grundy, he was really Clayface, but Batman’s about to find out that the legend of the swamp monster is very, very real!
On sale March 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.25 US

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #19
Written by Adam Beechen
Art by Gordon Purcell & Bob Petrecca
Cover by Ty Templeton
Wonder Woman, Elongated Man and Vigilante track a sinister time traveller back to the Old West. But it’s going to take the help of Jonah Hex, Bat Lash and El Diablo for them to stand a chance against the Time Commander! Guns are a ‘blazin’ in “The Justice Rangers Ride Again!”
On sale March 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.25 US

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED VOL. 2: WORLD’S GREATEST HEROES TP
Written by Adam Beechen
Art by Carlo Barberi, Ethen Beavers and Walden Wong
Cover by Ben Caldwell
The JLA encounter the oldest Green Lantern as they battle the terrible triptych, journey to deep space to thwart Darkseid, and travel back in time to Camelot to battle the evil Morgaine Le Fey! A 114-page manga size spectacular reprinting issues #6-10 of the ongoing series.
Advance-solicited; on sale April 19 • 5" x 7.375" • 104 pg, FC, $6.99US

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED VOL. 3: CHAMPIONS OF JUSTICE TP
Written by Adam Beechen
Art by Carlo Barberi and Walden Wong
Cover by Ben Caldwell
The World's Greatest Super-Heroes unite as they encounter one incredible menace after another in this 104-page digest sized collection reprinting JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #11-15! Featuring two Flashes vs. the Mirror Master, a crisis for Red Tornado, a journey to Limbo with Deadman and more!
Advance-solicited; on sale April 19 • 5” x 7.375” • 104 pg, FC, $6.99US

TEEN TITANS GO! #29
Written by J. Torres
Art by Mike Norton & Lary Stucker
Cover by Sean Galloway
Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire are all contestants on “Who Wants Pie?”, the new game show sensation with a sinister edge! If the Titans want to get out alive, they'll have to solve a bunch of puzzles and brain-teasers. And you, the reader, can join in the fun!!
On sale March 29 • 32 pg, FC, $2.25 US

HI HI PUFFY AMIYUMI #2
Written by Abby Denson, J. Torres, Sean Carolan and Jennifer Moore
Art by Phil Moy, Chris Cook and Mike DeCarlo
Cover by Phil Moy
The exciting 3-issue miniseries continues! Ami and Yumi are sick of their shady manager, Kaz, and want a new one. But they’d better be careful what they wish for — or what they sign! Also, advertising may be profitable for the band, but there are some products the girls don’t want their faces on?
On sale March 8 • 2 of 3 • 32 pg, FC, $2.25 US

CARTOON NETWORK BLOCK PARTY #19
Written by Scott Roberts, Jon Lewis and Jim Alexander
Art by Ricardo Garcia-Fuentes, Mike DeCarlo, Scott Neely and Dan Day
Cover by Robert Pope
The Powerpuff Girls have joined the Block Party and are ready to rock! But first they have some serious spring cleaning to do! Plus, Johnny Bravo has a date with a beautiful movie star, but will he realize his good luck?
On sale March 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.25 US

SCOOBY-DOO #106
Written by Alex Simmons
and Scott Peterson
Art by Robert Pope,
Scott McRae, Joe Staton
and Jeff Albrecht
Cover by Staton
The Mystery, Inc gang must learn why teenage secret agent J.Z. Bang is being chased by ghouls and goblins, instead of sneaks and spies! Plus, the Mystery Machine breaks down in front of a creepy old house, and Shaggy & Scooby discover the dangers of a haunted fruit stand.
On sale March 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.25 US

LOONEY TUNES #136
Written by Jesse Leon McCann, Sholly Fisch and Sam Agro
Art by Walter Carzon, Ruben Torreiro, Neal Sternecky,
Scott McRae, Pablo Zamboni and Horacio Ottolini
Cover by Carzon & Torreiro.
Marvin the Martian has decided the fate of Mars depends on Foghorn Leghorn — and he’ll get cooperation by any means necessary! Plus, take a trip back in time with Daffy and find out how clever that duck’s always been.
On sale March 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.25 US

MAD #464
Written and illustrated by The Usual Gang of Idiots
More of the MAD-cap hilarity you’ve come to expect and demand from the Usual Gang of Idiots!
On sale March 1 • 48 pg, FC/B&W, $3.99 US

MAD CLASSICS #6
Written and illustrated by
The Usual Gang of Idiots
A jam-packed new issue of MAD CLASSICS, featuring the Best of the Web, MAD Marginals, Reader’s Choice picks, and much more!
On sale March 8 • 96 pg, FC/B&W, $4.99 US

DC LIBRARY

ELFQUEST: THE DISCOVERY #2
Written by Wendy & Richard Pini
Art by Wendy Pini
The all-new bimonthly miniseries continues! Sunstream is awake and ready to lead the Wolfriders to the distant sea — and the Wave Dancers. While Brill can’t wait to meet her recognized partner in the flesh, not every underwater denizen is as eager.
On sale March 15 • 2 of 4 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

ELFQUEST: THE GRAND QUEST VOL. 14 TP
Written by Richard & Wendy Pini
Art by Wendy Pini and John Byrne
Cover by Wendy Pini
The Grand Quest comes to a whirlwind conclusion with a climactic fight between Cutter and Rayek! Includes “Right of Passage” from ELFQUEST: THE HIDDEN YEARS and stories from ELFQUEST: ROGUE’S CHALLENGE, including the rare collaboration between Wendy Pini and John Byrne.
Advance-solicited; on sale April 12 • 5” x 7.375” • 224 pg, B&W, $9.99US

THE SPIRIT ARCHIVES VOL. 18 HC
Written by Will Eisner Art and cover by Eisner
THE WILL EISNER LIBRARY Reprinting Spirit sections from January 2 to June 26, 1949, Will Eisner’s masterwork continues through one of its greatest periods in THE SPIRIT ARCHIVES VOL. 18, featuring the classic stories “Thorne Strand and the Spirit,” “Visitor” and “Satin” as well as an introduction by Eisner's former editor at Kitchen Sink Press, Catherine Garnier.
Advance-solicited; on sale April 12 • 196 pg, FC, $49.99 US

CMX

MOON CHILD VOL. 2
Written and illustrated by Reiko Shimizu
CMX. Shona is led to believe the unbelievable — that Jimmy is “Benjamin,” the half-mermaid/half-human mentioned in the prophecies of destruction. But one problem remains: the prophecy foretells of a girl!
The strange twins that exactly resemble Jimmy are the only ones who seem to know the full truth about the boy and the nature of his bizarre powers. Although they claim to be protecting him, they appear to have their own agenda. Only time will tell whether they are allies…or enemies in disguise!
On sale March 15 • 5" x 7.375" • 192 pg, B&W, $9.99 US • TEEN

SEIMADEN VOL. 4
Written and illustrated by You Higuri
CMX. The Demon King Laures has been taken prisoner.
His enemies will stop at nothing to destroy him and have targeted his beloved Hilda as the means to exact their revenge. Steadfast Roddrick attempts to rescue his former girlfriend, though great danger bars his way. With Laures held powerless, the lovers’ fate may be in the hands of an old flame, who must conquer his own demons in order to save them all.
On sale March 22 • 5" x 7.375" • 180 pg, B&W, $9.99 US • TEEN

KAMIKAZE KAITO JEANNE VOL. 3
Written and illustrated by Arina Tanemura
CMX. The internationally best-selling manga continues its English language debut! Maron races to save a friend — who’s also an enemy!
Although he’s her archenemy Sinbad by night, by day Maron has strong feelings for Chiaki. When he’s kidnapped by his demon-possessed father, Maron transforms into Kaito Jeanne to save him. But the demon dad is ready for Jeanne, and has a space reserved just for her in his collection of living mannequins! And it doesn’t help matters when the imprisoned Chiaki refuses to move back home — even if Jeanne can set him free.
Advance-solicited; on sale April 26 • 5" x 7.375" • 200 pg, B&W, $9.99 US • ALL AGES

KIKAIDER CODE 02 VOL. 3
Story by Shotaro Ishinomori
Illustrated by MEIMU
CMX. The manga behind the cult favorite animated series seen on Cartoon Network continues!
On the surface, Jiro appears to be a normal teenager — but he’s really Kikaider, a super-powered android. He can save humankind from an army of destructive robots, but only if his unstable “conscience circuit” doesn’t destroy us first! After managing to defeat his "brother," a weakened Jiro is unable to stall the plot that could mean the end of mankind! The agents of D.A.R.K. are everywhere and evil mastermind Gil Helbert has prepared for every eventuality…except the determination of an all-too-human android.
Advance-solicited; on sale April 19 • 5" x 7.375" • 210 pg, B&W, $9.99 US • MATURE READERS

TENRYU: THE DRAGON CYCLE VOL. 5
Written and illustrated by Sanami Matoh
CMX. From the best-selling creator of the hit manga Fake. The epic journey of Hiryu and Ryukei builds towards its conclusion!
After two years of solo training, Hiryu, bandit-turned-Dragon-King, is ready to face his final battle. But his trek home is disrupted when Hawk Village falls under attack from the evil Torao's men, and Hiryu must come to the rescue.
Advance-solicited; on sale April 26 • 5" x 7.375" • 192 pg, B&W, $9.99 US • TEEN

CIPHER VOL. 3
Written and illustrated by Minako Narita
CMX. The beloved manga by one of Japan’s foremost shojo creators takes to the road in this third volume! As the school year comes to an end, Anise finds her feelings for Cipher growing more complicated. And now the brothers are getting ready to leave for Hollywood. Will she be able to deal with the separation, or will she follow them out west?
Advance-solicited; on sale April 5 • 5" x 7.375" • 224 pg, B&W, $9.99 US • TEEN

TENJHO TENGE VOL. 7
Written and illustrated by Oh! great
CMX. In a school dominated by ruthless martial arts teams, one rogue club must fight the odds to stay alive!
To activate his “pure warrior,” Master Dogen introduces an element that turns the ultra-violent opening rounds of the tournament into a bloodbath! Meanwhile, as the bond between Maya and Mitsuomi deepens, Shin falls deeper under the spell of the mystical sword. This leads up to the tragic, destined battle between Shin and Mitsuomi, after which none of the characters will ever be the same! Retailers please note: This volume has been edited for U.S. release.
Advance-solicited; on sale April 19 • 5" x 7.375" • 240 pg, B&W, $9.99 US • TEEN

WILDSTORM

THE AMERICAN WAY #2
Written by John Ridley
Art and cover by Georges Jeanty & Karl Story
Tragedy strikes America's heroes as one of their own falls in combat! As for new Civil Defense Corps marketing director Wesley Catham, he couldn't have asked for a more difficult start: how do you spin the death of a popular hero without having the public lose faith in national security? The answer: introduce a new hero!
On sale March 22 • 2 of 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

CAPTAIN ATOM: ARMAGEDDON #6
Written by Will Pfeifer
Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli & Sandra Hope
Cover by Camuncoli & Gabriele Dell'Otto
While the friendship between Captain Atom and the Engineer grows, the Authority and Majestic search for answers to Atom's condition. The Wildcats begin to experiment on Nikola, trying to free the Void signature...but can anything stop the countdown?
On sale March 8 • 6 of 9 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

DESOLATION JONES #6
Written by Warren Ellis
Art and cover by J.H. Williams III
Michael Jones has been played for a fool from the start. Military spooks turned adult film entrepreneurs was just the decoration. All Jones knows is everyone is against him, and that the odds say he won't live through the night...
On sale March 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS

EX MACHINA #20
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Tony Harris & Tom Feister
Cover by Harris
Concluding the most controversial story of the year: the 4-part “March to War!” It’s former super-hero Mitchell Hundred's darkest hour as Mayor of New York City, as the tree of liberty is once again refreshed with the blood of patriots.
On sale March 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS

EX MACHINA: FACT V. FICTION TP
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Tony Harris & Tom Feister Cover by Harris
Collecting three unique storylines of the Eisner Award-winning series from issues #11-16! Mayor Mitchell Hundred must make a difficult decision about his own future, becomes part of a shocking trial complicated by the unexpected arrival of an all-new superhero, and leaves New York City for the first time since his election to embark on a strange adventure!
Advance-solicited; on sale April 5 • 144 pg, FC, $12.99 US • Mature Readers

MAJESTIC #15
Written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art and cover by Neil Googe
Imperitor's forces go to war with the warriors of the Shaper's Guild for possession of the Planet Engine, and the destinies of Khera and Earth hang in the balance! Caught in the middle, Majestic and his disparate band of allies struggle to thwart both and stop them from tearing the world apart.
On sale March 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

RED SONJA /CLAW THE UNCONQUERED: DEVIL’S HANDS #1
Written by John Layman
Art by Andy Smith
Cover by Alex Ross
Variant cover by Jim Lee
Fan-favorite Red Sonja meets a blast from DC's past: Claw the Unconquered — in a 4-issue miniseries written by John Layman (THUNDERCATS: ENEMY’S PRIDE) with art by Andy Smith (Weapon X, Silver Surfer) and covers by Jim Lee (BATMAN, SUPERMAN) and Alex Ross (JUSTICE)! Red Sonja, crimson-haired she-devil with a sword, and Claw, the cursed warrior, are thrown together as unlikely allies against a despotic evil sorcerer who was once a friend to Red Sonja but is now her sworn enemy — and may hold the key to unlocking the terrible curse he must endure! Copublished with Dynamite Entertainment. Please see the order form for details on the variant cover.
On sale March 15 • 1 of 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

THUNDERBOLT JAXON #2
Written by Dave Gibbons
Art by John Higgins
Cover by Gibbons
Ancient deities are revealed as this action-packed miniseries continues! When Jack Jaxon and his friends discover the true mystical nature of their recently found treasure, gang warfare erupts. Meanwhile, Jack's stepfather, a major combatant in the urban turf war, is glimpsed by Jack as his true self.
On sale March 1 • 2 of 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

TEAM ZERO #4
Written by Chuck Dixon
Art by Doug Mahnke & Sandra Hope
Cover by Tommy Lee Edwards
Deathblow and his team have reached Peenemunde, but the Soviets are hot on their heels. The Team digs in as the advance units of the Red Army begin to arrive...and it's not what any of them could have expected. Outnumbered and outgunned, Team Zero prepares for war!
On sale March 1 • 4 of 6 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

WILDCATS: NEMESIS #7
Written by Robbie Morrison
Art by Talent Caldwell, Horacio Domingues & Matt "Batt" Banning
Cover by Caldwell & Banning
The Brotherhood's assault on Earth has begun! Nemesis and Zealot fight side by side, but the odds are stacked against them. Is anyone left to stem this massive threat? And Nemesis flashes back to Prohibition-era America to mix it up with bootleggers!
On sale March 8 • 7 of 9 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

WILDSIDERZ #3
Written by J. Scott Campbell & Andy Hartnell
Art and covers by Campbell
The thrilling miniseries by fan-favorite creators J. Scott Campbell and Andy Hartnell continues! High school, the social hierarchy and homemade superpowers can be a lot for any teenager to handle. Will the Wildsiderz finally learn to work together, or will the villainous plans of Dr. Spydre break them apart? In order to retrieve their powers, Styler hatches a plan that forces Zak into a dangerously close encounter with Emily. But is Styler’s heroic intent what it seems, or is he after something more personal than powers? Either way, the Wildsiderz will have to keep their emotions in check as Dr. Spydre turns their high school formal into an affair they’ll never forget. Retailers please note: This issue is resolicited. All previous orders are cancelled. This issue will ship with two covers by J. Scott Campbell. Please see the order form for information on the variant cover.
Resolicited; on sale March 29 • 3 of 5 • 32 pg, FC, $3.50 US

THE WINTER MEN #4
Written by Brett Lewis
Art and cover by John Paul Leon
Kris and Nikki uncover more clues about the fabled heroes as they investigate the so-called Boy Scouts and their operation. And could Kris’s old team, Red 11, have a connection to the Winter Men? Retailers please note: This issue is resolicited. All previous orders are cancelled.
Resolicited; on sale March 29 • 4 of 6 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS

WRAITHBORN #6
Written by Marcia Chen
Art and cover by Joe Benitez & Joe Weems
The final question is answered: who will ultimately wield the power of the Wraithborn? The pulse-pounding extra-sized finale is here as Valin makes a noble attempt to rescue Melanie... and finds himself face-to-face with Brijit and Kiara. The stakes have never been higher, the outcome never more tense, now is the time when heroes are born…or die.
On sale March 29 • 6 of 6 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

ABC A to Z: TOP 10 AND TEAMS
Written by Peter Hogan and Steve Moore
Art by Zander Cannon, Gene Ha & Rick Veitch
Cover by Terry Dodson
Everything you ever wanted to know about the crew of Top 10 but were afraid to ask! Leni Muller, one of the earliest officers to wear a badge at Precinct 10, reveals the ins and outs of the force as only an insider can. From the post-war days to the present, Leni knows where all the bodies are buried. Also, King Solomon takes a look at some of America's Best…and worst!
On sale March 22 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US

TOM STRONG BOOK FIVE TP
Written by Brian K. Vaughan, Ed Brubaker and others
Art by Pascual Ferry, Duncan Fegredo and others
Cover by Chris Sprouse and Jose Villarrubia
An amazing softcover collection featuring TOM STRONG #26-30!
Whether investigating paranormal activities in the outermost atmosphere or entering a dream realm through a young girl who is also a living black hole, Tom Strong is the ever-vigilant defender of Millennium City!
Advance-solicited; on sale April 5 • 136 pg, FC, $17.99 US

TOP 10: THE 49ERS SC
Written by Alan Moore
Art and cover by Gene Ha
The Eisner Award-winning TOP 10 team of writer Alan Moore and artist Gene Ha reunites for a softcover edition of the original graphic novel that delves into the past, revealing the origins of Neopolis and the first officers of Top Ten! Meet the original Top 10 officers who blazed the trail and made Neopolis the city it is today!
On sale March 22 • 112 pg, FC, $17.99 US • Mature Readers

VERTIGO

AMERICAN VIRGIN #1
Written by Steven T. Seagle
Art by Becky Cloonan
Cover by Frank Quitely
YOU ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR FIRST TIME…
Adam Chamberlain is a 20-year-old youth minister, a best-selling author, and most important, the head of a rabid national virginity movement. But practicing virgin or not...Adam is about to lose it.
Just a few weeks shy of marrying the girl of his dreams — the only woman God has said he can ever know sexually — Adam's fate, future and sex life are cast in direct opposition with God's Word.
Like Y: THE LAST MAN, the series follows one man’s dark quest into unknown territories — geographically and emotionally. A shocking terrorist act casts Adam adrift in exotic locales not so easily managed by a slick image, a clever comeback or the Good Book. Adam is forced to confront head-on the very rifts we all feel between our carnal desires and whatever higher power we answer to.
Will Adam’s first time be his last?
Featuring the deft, cutting edge writing skills of seven-time Eisner Award nominee Steven T. Seagle (the nationally acclaimed IT'S A BIRD...) and the frenetic, high-contrast art of two-time Eisner Award-nominated artist Becky Cloonan (Demo, Wizard’s “Best Indie Book” for 2004), AMERICAN VIRGIN will be previewed in Y: THE LAST MAN #41 and includes a bonus interview with the creators. Erotically charged covers for the series will be created by the inimitable Eisner Award-winning artist Frank Quitely (WE3, ALL STAR SUPERMAN).
On sale March 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS Edited by Shelly Bond

100 BULLETS #70
Written by Brian Azzarello
Art by Eduardo Risso
Cover by Dave Johnson
While most of the remaining members of The Trust were gambling with their lives in Atlantic City, Agent Graves paid a visit to two brothers down on their luck. But when one gets his hands on Graves’ infamous briefcase, the result be anything but brotherly love.
On sale March 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.75 US • MATURE READERS

100 BULLETS: STRYCHNINE LIVES TP
Written by Brian Azzarello Art by Eduardo Risso
Cover by Dave Johnson
Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso's tale of power and revenge winds through Chicago, Miami, Atlantic City and Juarez in STRYCHNINE LIVES, collecting issues #59-67 of the award-winning series. With the Houses of the Trust warily circling each other, looking for the right angle to take in their impending war, the remaining Minutemen continue to pick their sides — and set up their own battle plans.
Advance-solicited; on sale April 26 • 224 pg, FC, $14.99 US • MATURE READERS

100 BULLETS: THE HARD WAY TP
Written by Brian Azzarello
Art by Eduardo Risso
Cover by Dave Johnson
Reoffered to coincide with 100 BULLETS: STRYCHNINE LIVES, this volume collects 100 BULLETS #50-58, unraveling the tangled mystery of the Trust as Wylie Times becomes the latest Minuteman to be reactivated by the Trust's one-time enforcer Agent Graves. But which side will he choose?
On sale March 29 • 224 pg, FC, $14.99 US • MATURE READERS • Relist

DMZ #5
Written by Brian Wood
Art by Wood & Riccardo Burchielli
Cover by Wood
After a few weeks of covering day-to-day life in the DMZ, Matty finally gets his first big news break: an interview with a notorious local tribal boss. However, when Matty arrives to the interview, who he finds sitting next to the crime boss could make for an even bigger scoop.
On sale March 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS

THE EXTERMINATORS #3
Written by Simon Oliver
Art by Tony Moore
Cover by Philip Bond
In Part 3 of the 5-part “Bug Brothers,” Henry gets a new partner: Stretch, a Zen master in a 10-gallon hat. When they visit an L.A. mental hospital to clean out the pests, they instead find horrific suffering and corruption — to which Stretch concocts a most creative response.
On sale March 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS

FABLES #47
Written by Bill Willingham
Art by Jim Fern & Jimmy Palmiotti
Cover by James Jean
In the conclusion of the 2-part story “The Ballad of Rodney and June,” it's love in the time of conquest. But how can their love survive when they're both made of wood? It seems they have only one chance: travel to the Imperial Homeworld to petition Gepetto himself to transform them into real flesh and blood.
On sale March 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.75 US • MATURE READERS

HELLBLAZER: PAPA MIDNITE TP
Written by Mat Johnson Art by Tony Akins & Dan Green
Cover by Ronald Wimberly
The King of Voodoo has a long history, but where did it all begin? The answer can be found in HELLBLAZER: PAPA MIDNITE, collecting the acclaimed 5-issue Vertigo miniseries that follows the story of the curse that made Midnite immortal, from its origin in 1712 through the failed slave rebellion of 1741 and into the present day, where he continues to pay the price for his original sin.
Advance-solicited; on sale April 5 • 128 pg, FC, $12.99 US • MATURE READERS

HELLBLAZER #218
Written by Denise Mina
Art by Leonardo Manco
Cover by Greg Lauren
Part 3 of the 7-part story “Empathy is the Enemy,” written by acclaimed author Denise Mina. On the highway to Glasgow, John encounters a forgotten acquaintance from his troubled youth. Coincidence, or a set up engineered by a shadowy sect rooted in nine centuries of Scottish mysticism? Constantine senses that the end of this road may be too dark even for him.
On sale March 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.75 US • MATURE READERS

HELLBLAZER: LADY CONSTANTINE TP
Written by Andy Diggle
Art by Goran Sudzuka
Cover by Phil Noto
Collecting the four-issue HELLBLAZER SPECIAL miniseries written by THE LOSERS’ Andy Diggle and illustrated by Goran Sudzuka (guest artist on Y: THE LAST MAN), HELLBLAZER: LADY CONSTANTINE tells the story of Johanna Constantine, 18th-century ancestor of today's Hellblazer, whose reputation for sorcery lands her a job that promises a future of wealth and entitlement in — and almost certain death and damnation in the frozen North Sea!
On sale March 29 • 96 pg, FC, $9.99 US • MATURE READERS

LOVELESS #6
Written by Brian Azzarello
Art by Danijel Zezelj
Cover by Marcelo Frusin
Featuring guest art by Danijel Zezelj (EL DIABLO, CONGO BILL)! America’s dirty and violent underside was exposed during the Civil War and Reconstruction. However, for Atticus Mann, a former slave turned Freeman, the struggle to survived was doubled in the face of racism and brutality.
On sale March 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS

LUCIFER #72
Written by Mike Carey
Art by Peter Gross & Aaron Alexovich
Cover by Michael Wm. Kaluta
Concluding the 2-part “Evensong.” In the realm of his old enemy, Izanami, Lucifer must once again take back what is his. But this time there are no challenges or ambushes, and no traps except for one — which the Morningstar walks into with his eyes wide open.
On sale March 29 • 32 pg, FC, $2.75 US • MATURE READERS

NEIL GAIMAN’S NEVERWHERE #7
Written by Mike Carey
Art and cover by Glenn Fabry
Neil Gaiman’s classic tale of urban fantasy spins toward its mind-boggling conclusion. Richard must endure the Black Friars’ ordeal, taking him to the blackest heart of his inner demons. His only objective: to survive — while the Marquis de Carabas meets an even crueler fate at the hand of Mr. Croup.
On sale March 29 • 7 of 9 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS

SWAMP THING #25
Written by Josh Dysart
Art by Dean Ormston
Cover by Eric Powell
The spotlight focuses on Swamp Thing’s love Abby in a special stand-alone story. After their long-awaited reunion, the madness of the swamp re-invades her life. Trapped in a rape crisis center, she must fight for her life against monsters that may forever change her relationship with the world’s Earth Elemental…
On sale March 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS

TESTAMENT #4
Written by Douglas Rushkoff
Art and cover by Liam Sharp
Abraham’s epic war with the Anakim giants reverberates through time, as Alan Stern steels himself to do battle with an army of gargantuan war machines. But his true enemy is a force more powerful than any robot.
On sale March 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS

Y: THE LAST MAN #43
Written by Brian K. Vaughan
Art by Pia Guerra & Jose Marzan Jr.
Cover by Massimo Carnevale
Co-creator Pia Guerra returns as a new storyline begins! The last man and his companions finally reach Japan in search of Ampersand, Yorick's long-lost pet and the key to mankind's return. They're one step closer to learning who or what killed all the other males, but how many of Yorick's friends will live to hear the answer?
On sale March 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • MATURE READERS

One Year Later
by Various Writers & Artists
(DC)
Buy It!
Email Print March 28th, 2006

Infinite Crisis is DC Comics' first major "everything will change" crossover event in years, and though post-Crisis On Infinite Earths shakeups from The Final Night to Zero Hour have routinely ended in unreadable books and mangled continuity, this new one promised to be as genuinely deck-clearing as the original Crisis. Coming on the heels of the Brad Meltzer-penned superhero mystery Identity Crisis—which set a new standard for icons behaving badly—and the excessively grim Countdown To Infinite Crisis miniseries, Infinite Crisis had a chance to revamp the philosophical underpinnings of the DC Universe, replacing the dark, conflicted heroes that Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman had become with the sunnier versions from decades past. But the as-yet-incomplete series has taken a different turn, and now seems to be about why DC can't go back to what it was. Meanwhile, DC is rolling out its "One Year Later" concept, resetting 20-odd titles to a year after the conclusion of Infinite Crisis, and confirming that nothing significant will change.

Leaving aside the ethics of stringing along superhero-comics fans with one event after another—including the soon-to-debut weekly series 52, which will fill in the gaps between Infinite Crisis and "One Year Later"—what's most galling is that the latest set of remodels leaves the DC Universe even messier than it was one year ago. There are duplicate Nightwings on the streets, Hawkman has been retitled Hawkgirl, Catwoman has had a baby (and trained a replacement Catwoman), Black Canary has left the Birds Of Prey (and been replaced by a former villain), Supergirl has joined The Legion Of Super-Heroes, Green Arrow is the mayor of his city, and super-teams from The Teen Titans to The Outsiders have been restaffed. And since nearly every "One Year Later" issue ends on a cliffhanger, the stories are bound to get even more complicated. So much for bringing in new readers.

The news isn't all dreary. While the retooled Batman comics (penned by the usually reliable James Robinson) have been flatly dull, the new take on Superman (co-scripted by Kurt Busiek and Geoff Johns) is highly entertaining so far, with unexpected twists. Busiek's new version of Aquaman also has potential, though the first issue is a little confusing, and both Catwoman and the New Orleans-set Hawkgirl (the latter co-created by veterans Walt Simonson and Howard Chaykin) have made refreshing new starts. But all these new heroes and concepts are clearly meant to parallel Julius Schwartz's late-'50s Silver Age recreations of The Flash, Green Lantern, et. al., and these "One Year Later" books simply aren't that radical. They have more in common with the bad old days of the late-'80s/early-'90s speculator boom, when everything was touted as an epochal event and characters were killed off willy-nilly, to be replaced by grimmer versions. The faces and the costumes may change, but the guiding principle still seems to be finding ways to separate comics fans from their money.

A.V. Club Ratings:
Action Comics, B+;
Aquaman: Sword Of Atlantis, B;
Batman, C-;
Birds Of Prey, C+;
Blood Of The Demon, D;
Catwoman, B+;
Detective Comics, D+;
Firestorm: The Nuclear Man, D;
Green Arrow, D+;
Green Lantern, A-;
Hawkgirl, B;
JSA, C-;
JSA Classified, B-;
Nightwing, C;
Outsiders, D;
Robin, B-;
Superman, A-

BTW, Batman (#651) can eat a bag of dicks.

It's all Alex Luthor's Myspace.

Why Johns didn't take this opportunity to bring back the single best concept anybody in comics has ever thought of is beyond me, though.

I have to admit I've quite enjoyed this series so far. I couldn't call it "quality" in any sense, but it's good fun. I've liked it more than most DC comics that I've read in the past year or so (that were not written by Grant Morrison or Kurt Busiek.)

...agree with douglas about the multiverse thing, though.

...also, impatient for 52 now.

Hands in the air like you just don't care, Superb- NOOOO YOU ONLY HAVE ONE!! AND YOU'RE A ZOMBIE!! Techno techno techno techno CORE!!!

I plan to explore this new facet of the dancetastic DCU in a fanfic called "Zombies are good, zombies are good, he's Ebenzombeezer Goode!!" Featuring Hero! Watch for it.

Answers on a postcard please...

Worst issue yet. Is it me or does #6 make even less sense than usual? Because, of course, it was making lots up to that point, I'm sure you'll agree..

I am wondering what is going to happen in the final issue - presumably WW, Superman and Batman defeat Bad Superboy, making friends and deciding to stop being annoying in the process. Then Wonder Woman says "OK, so what's my origin this time???" Everyone else fights the Secret society of villains in NY and then the Spectre shows up and tells everyone to stop messing around and go home?

The following POTENTIAL SPOILERS are from a comic book distributer who claimed to have seen an advance draft copy of IC7:

Superboy Prime will be consumed by the Parallax entity, who will then be defeated by Ion (Kyle Rayner)
Alexander Luther and Kal-L will die fighting each other
Kal-El will allow the Spectre to "remove" his powers to "inspire" other heroes to think of their human, rather than super-human, sides
Wonder Woman and Batman will share a kiss as Bruce forgives Diana for her killing Max Lord

Parallax is ringing some bells, is it the "and now we kill Hal Jordan" thing? Has it been seen since?

Also "How old is Geoff Johns etc". I hope that Superman is reminded of his essential humanity by Snapper Carr, who has aged normally since the 50s and now looks like Alex Ross's da. Superman thanks him for reminding us all of this vital fact and, as a final gesture before depowering, idly twists his head off.

Add "quote marks" as you so desire.