They’re fought Superman separately. They’ve teamed up and fought him together. Now Lex Luthor and Brainiac set their sights on a new enemy – each other! Two of the Man of Steel’s greatest foes duke it out the cover of ACTION COMICS #899 by David Finch and Ryan Winn.
Excited about today’s earlier post, announcing BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM? Well, that’s not all, May’s going to be a major month for BATMAN – here’s your first look at May’s solicits, after the jump.
BATMAN INCORPORATED #7
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art and cover by CHRIS BURNHAM
1:25 Variant cover by FRAZER IRVING
Man-of-Bats and his protégé, Red Raven, continue to aid the Dark Knight in tracking down a shadowy, sophisticated killer. Will these two members of The Club of Heroes become the newest additions to BATMAN INCORPORATED? Or will they die before they can even be offered the chance?
On sale MAY 25 • 32 pg, FC $2.99 US • RATED T
BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #4
Written by DAVID FINCH
Art by DAVID FINCH & SCOTT WILLIAMS
Cover by DAVID FINCH
1:25 Variant cover by ANDY CLARKE
Etrigan the Demon’s loyalties are stretched to their breaking point, and when he chooses sides, an epic battle ensues with Batman! The victor can only be decided with the help of a new friend, but there’s no time to spare for infighting, because Gotham City is being overrun by a demon horde…
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information. This issue is resolicited. All previous orders are cancelled.
Resolicit • On sale MAY 25 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
DETECTIVE COMICS #877
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art and cover by JOCK
Batman plunges deeper into the mystery surrounding the brutal murder of a young woman whose body was found in the belly of a killer whale. But his detective skills lead him into a deadly trap set in motion by some of the Gotham Underworld’s newest and most fearsome players. Don’t miss the finale of “Hungry City!”
On sale MAY 25 • 32 pg, FC $2.99 US • RATED T
BATMAN #710
Written by TONY DANIEL
Art by TONY DANIEL & RYAN WINN
Cover by TONY DANIEL
Two-Face is back! As an unknown villain targets Two-Face and other Gotham City crimelords for extermination, Batman discovers that Kitrina Falcone, a.k.a. “CATGIRL,” is next on the hit list! Can he save the junior mobster in time? And will helping Kitrina force Catwoman to get involved?
On sale MAY 18 • 32 pg, FC $2.99 US • RATED T
BATMAN & ROBIN #23
Written by JUDD WINICK
Art and cover by GUILLEM MARCH
1:10 Variant cover by GENE HA
Jason Todd - Batman’s one-time sidekick, currently the anti-hero known as Red Hood - has been imprisoned in Arkham Asylum for the past several months. But after a period of good behavior, will a transfer to a lower-security prison mean reformation for Jason Todd . . . or is trouble waiting in the wings for Batman and Robin? Don’t miss “The Streets Run Red” part one of three!
On sale MAY 11 • 32 pg, FC $2.99 US • RATED T
BATWOMAN #2
Written by J.H. WILLIAMS III and W. HADEN BLACKMAN
Art and cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III
1:10 Variant cover by AMY REEDER
Horror! A terrifying new villain stalks the innocent children of Gotham City.
Intrigue! A threatening government agency is hot on Batwoman’s trail.
Romance! Kate Kane’s new relationship is heating up.
It’s all here for our heroine! Can Batwoman stop the new evil rising from the damp back alleys of Gotham’s barrios and overcome the many challenges she faces as both Batwoman and Kate Kane? 2011’s most anticipated new ongoing series intensifies in this exciting second installment of the 5-part “Hydrology” storyline!
Resolicit • On sale MAY 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
RED ROBIN #23
Written by FABIAN NICIEZA
Art and cover by MARCUS TO and RAY MCCARTHY
The “7 Days of Death” begin with assassination attempts on Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox by the international assassin Scarab – but isn’t she in jail? To find the killer, Red Robin may have to spring the real Scarab from prison! Is this an assault on Wayne Enterprises, or do the first two days of death signal the start of a deeper conspiracy?
On sale MAY 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #23
Written by PETER CALLOWAY
Art by ANDRES GUINALDO and LORENZO RUGGIERO
Cover by GUILLEM MARCH
Breakout at Arkham! With Harley Quinn in danger, can Catwoman and Poison Ivy put aside their tumultuous history and work together to save Harley? Guest-starring The Joker, Clayface and Jeremiah Arkham!
On sale MAY 25 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
BATMAN BEYOND #5
Written by ADAM BEECHEN
Art by RYAN BENJAMIN and JOHN STANISCI
Cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN
Rioting workers are threatening to close down Wayne-Powers Industries and send stock prices spiraling down the tubes! There’s only one thing Batman can do in this situation: Track down Paxton Powers, just released from prison, and see what he knows about it! “Industrial Revolution” begins here!
On sale MAY 4 • 32 pg, FC $2.99 US • RATED T
BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #40
Written by DAN DIDIO
Art by KEITH GIFFEN and SCOTT KOBLISH
Cover by PHILIP TAN
Batman arrives in an attempt to unite Black Lightning’s team with Geo-Force’s for the final battle against Veritas. But as one teammate is lost and others leave, Batman must determine if it’s time to disband The Outsiders forever.
On sale MAY 18 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • FINAL ISSUE • RATED T
BATGIRL #21
Written by BRYAN Q. MILLER
Art by DUSTIN NGUYEN and DEREK FRIDOLFS
Cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN
When the Grey Ghost puts himself in harm’s way to save Gotham City from the Reaper’s sound-wielding Harmony, it’s up to Batgirl to save the day. If Batgirl has her way, her first team-up with the Grey Ghost will be her last with the Grey Ghost – assuming they both make it out alive.
On sale MAY 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
BIRDS OF PREY #12
Written by GAIL SIMONE
Art and cover by JESUS SAIZ
They’ve had the growing pains, the split-ups and the reunions. Now it’s time to see the Birds of Prey do the dirty jobs no one else can. When a mysterious yet familiar villain threatens to organize all East Coast criminal activity, from loan sharking to illegal arms trading, Oracle is forced to test the limits of the Batman Incorporated strategy, using her own operatives as pawns in a battle for the soul of Gotham City!
On sale MAY 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
DC COMICS PRESENTS: BATMAN – DARK KNIGHT, DARK CITY #1
Written by PETER MILLIGAN
Art by KIERON DWYER, TOM MANDRAKE and DENNIS JANKE
Cover by MIKE MIGNOLA and GEORGE PRATT
In these thrilling tales from BATMAN #452-454, The Riddler goes on a crimepsree – but when he has the chance to kill Batman, he let The Dark Knight live. What strange game is The Riddler playing? Plus, in a story from DETECTIVE COMICS #633, Bruce Wayne returns to Wayne Manor to find no trace of the Batcave, and Alfred without any knowledge of his master’s crimefighting career. Has Bruce Wayne gone insane?
On sale MAY 18 • 96 pg, FC, $7.99 US
Nine hundred issues is a significant milestone. Come this spring, ACTION COMICS will be the first—and only—comic book series with nine hundred issues under its belt.
Here are 6 items of breaking news about this historic anniversary issue:
1. ACTION COMICS 900 continues the epic Reign of Doomsday storyline.
2. There’s a contribution by famed SUPERMAN THE MOVIE director, Richard Donner;
3. A story by the screenwriter of THE DARK KNIGHT, David Goyer;
4. A story by the co-creator of LOST, Damon Lindelof;
5. In addition to covers by David Finch and Alex Ross, there will be a variant cover by Adam Hughes.
6. In order to squeeze in all these amazing contributions, ACTION COMICS will clock in at a whopping 96 pages.
Stay tuned to THE SOURCE for more about ACTION COMICS 900 in the coming weeks.
They say good things come in threes. First we got David Finch's take on The Demon, then the news of Scott Ian's upcoming DEMON book with Sam Keith.
Now, I present this great two-page splash by Diogenes Neves from the upcoming GREEN ARROW #8.
GREEN ARROW #8 is on sale January 26th.
Bruce Wayne's been building his global empire of Batman, Incorporated. But now and again, he still needs to reach out to an old friend for a helping hand.
In writer/artist David Finch's Batman: The Dark Knight series, that old friend is old indeed: Etrigan the Demon has been around for a looooong time. And judging by Finch's amazing pencils, well, I'm not sure just how much of a help Etrigan is going to be for Bruce.
Finch was nice enough to provide a little insight into the magic that awaits:
"Batman is a global brand, with corporate funding and vigilante operations worldwide, but Bruce has been fighting for Gotham City his whole adult life. And he can't walk away that easily. Gotham's villians band together to remind him who his real enemy is, and his friends need him more than ever. Batman is building an empire, but its foundation is showing deep cracks.
"And there's a wildcard. Arcane forces have been unleashed in Gotham, and they very quickly threaten to turn Gotham City into hell on earth. Batman enlists the help of Etrigan the Demon, who has intimate knowledge of the threat he faces, but Etrigan has loyalties of his own, and helping Batman puts him at odds with his masters. He's been demoted in the hierarchy of hell, but when he's offered the honor of being a rhymer once again if he betrays Batman, he has a terrible decision to make. Meanwhile Batman's attention is almost completely consumed by the beautiful Dawn Golden, who he's been trying to rescue from capture. He becomes so obsessed with finding and saving her, that he goes to places within himself that he has always held in check. And he doesn't see the forces that are aligning themselves against him. There would be no hope if it weren't for an unlikely new friend who is there to help when he needs it the most. But helping Batman comes at a high price."
I've said it before and will say it again, Finch is one of the most talented and nicest people in the comic book industry. But what's it like to actually work with him as his editor? Maybe we should ask Mike Marts.
"There are many great things about working with David Finch, but one of the main points that sticks out is his willingness to be a part of the Batman creative team. When David first signed on board to write and pencil a Batman book for us, one of the first things he asked for was to be brought up to speed on current continuity and what the other Bat-titles were up to. Other creators in his position might have wanted to do “their own thing” or enact their own “take” on the character. But not David—he wanted to dive headfirst into the continuity pool and expressed a strong desire to interact with Scott Snyder, Grant Morrison, Tony Daniel and the other Bat-writers. That says a lot to me about a creator. I know we’re going to get nothing but amazing stories from David for a long time to come."
Action Comics hits a big milestone issue this year, and it only seems appropriate it gets a top-notch cover from a top-notch artist.
Without further ado, David Finch's cover to ACTION COMICS #900:
Superman versus (I'll argue) his greatest villain. How much more apropos can you get for a landmark cover to Action Comics?
But wait - there's more! In addition to a 50-page lead story by the team that’s been punching this book out of the park for for the last ten issues, Paul Cornell and Pete Woods, the oversized 900th issue will also feature short stories by some very exciting names to be announced soon.
Excited? Stay tuned to the Source for more news about Action Comics #900.
It’s no stretch to say that David Finch’s debut as writer/artist on BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT is one of the most eagerly awaited comic books of the year.
As Mike Marts has shared pages of the book with the good folks who work at 1700 Broadway, he’s caused a lot of jaws to drop. Drawing and writing Batman comic books has long been a dream project for David, and that passion is evident on each and every page. Having read issue one, I confirm that it looks and reads great. Frankly, it’s stunning.
Those of you who live in David’s hometown of Windsor, Ontario are in for real a treat next week. Cartoon Kingdom is hosting a signing to celebrate the release on the book on Wednesday, December 29. The store is located at 2001 Provincial Rd and the signing lasts from 5 to 9 PM. Stop by, grab a copy of issue one and tell them THE SOURCE sent ‘ya.
I may or may not have seen the following notes on Eddie Berganza's desk.
Story elements for BRIGHTEST DAY 16:
1 Part, Underwater adventure and intrigue;
1 Part, Science Fiction epic;
2 Parts, Family Tragedy;
4 Jaw dropping splash pages;
1 Young hero, claiming his birthright;
1 Dark twist;
1 Universe coming apart;
1 Morbid tease for next issue.
[gallery link="file" columns="2"]
Seven, they say, is a magic number. And this morning, we can't disagree.
Because DC and Vertigo have put on an impressive showing, combining to win seven, yes seven of IGN's thirteen awards for the Best of 2010.
Here's the rundown...
Best New Series: Vertigo's AMERICAN VAMPIRE
Best Art Team: Gabriel Bá, Fábio Moon & Dave Stewart (DAYTRIPPER)
Best Series Revamp: ACTION COMICS
Best Moment of the Year: BATMAN & ROBIN 13
Best Story Arc: "Batman and Robin Must Die" from BATMAN AND ROBIN
Here's IGN on Grant's many accomplishments in 2010:
"The writer wrapped up his run on Batman and Robin in grand fashion. He brought Bruce Wayne back to the present where he belongs. He celebrated the legacy of Batman as a whole in Batman #700. And luckily, Morrison did find time to weave his own original stories with Joe the Barbarian. Any of these projects numbered among the most unique and memorable of the year. Taken together, it's clear Morrison is still at the top of his game."
Congratulations to everyone on IGN's list.
Let's get this out of the way first, David Finch might be the nicest guy in comics. He's also a Batman fanatic and his love for the character is evident on every page of the upcoming BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT series. Luckily, you don't have to take my word for it. Just check out his variant cover to issue 4.
