With Rebirth now in full swing and so many exciting new titles to try, we can’t blame anyone for needing a reminder of what happened in the last issue. Or maybe you’re looking to add a new book to your list and need to get caught up on earlier chapters? Either way, we’re here to help. Every Tuesday, we’ll be recapping the prior issues of that week’s new Rebirth and Hanna-Barbera comics, as well as sharing our favorite moments. It’s a quick, easy way to ensure you’re up to speed and ready for New Comic Day. We hope you find these recaps helpful, but be aware that they do contain some spoilers!

 

 


All-Star Batman #1

By Scott Snyder, John Romita Jr., Danny Miki and Dean White

Harvey Dent is looking for help. Unfortunately, his alter ego Two-Face is not. In a moment of lucidity, Dent sent Bruce a plea for help: If Dent ever loses himself completely to Two-Face, he asks Bruce to take him out of the city, to a house where Dent can “burn” Two-Face out of him for good. Unfortunately, by the time they’re able to set out from Gotham, the murderous side of Harvey’s personality is already firmly in the driver’s seat. Two-Face has sent out an all points bulletin to everyone in the state: If Bruce and Harvey make it to their destination, Two-Face will leak every bit of information he has on every person he knows, from his own criminal empire and his former life as Gotham City District Attorney. However, if someone stops them, frees Two-Face and kills Batman, Two-Face will pay the lucky winner the full sums of the accounts of the three wealthiest crime families in Gotham. There’s 498 miles between the two of them and their destination and thanks to Two-Face’s gambit, roughly every living soul between point A and point B is looking to stop them. Luckily, Batman is no stranger to those odds.

Unforgettable Moment: Batman’s an expert in many fields, including—unsurprisingly—entomology, the study of insects. As he faces off against a barrage of some of his bug-themed enemies, he helpfully provides Killer Moth with some moth science. Namely, that it’s not uncommon for adult moths to emerge from their chrysalises without mouths. Their only job, he provides, is to “shut up and die.” Harsh, but true.


The Flash #5

By Joshua Williamson, Felipe Watanabe, Andrew Currie, Oclair Albert and Ivan Plascencia

With the Black Hole taken care of, Barry, Meena and August find themselves with some much-needed time to catch their breath. For Meena, this means returning to S.T.A.R. Labs to continue teaching the rest of the Central City’s super-powered citizens to control their new abilities. Citizens like Barry’s nephew, Wally West, who promptly finds himself under Meena’s enthusiastic wing the moment he shows up at the training center. For Barry and August, it means returning to their day jobs at the Central City Police Department—the Black Hole may be gone, but there is no shortage of non-super powered crimes to solve and people to help. Unfortunately, like most good things, this calm just can’t seem to last. It’s after a pleasant day of field training with Wally that Meena returns to S.T.A.R. Labs to find the facility in shambles and the attacker still inside. Godspeed, who apparently wasn’t the Black Hole’s leader, Dr. Carver, is in the process of trying to sap the Speed Force from the trainees. Cornered by Godspeed, Meena sends another trainee speedster to run to Barry for help—but can the Fastest Man Alive make it back in time?

Unforgettable Moment: During their first training session, Meena explains to Wally that the Speed Force manifests itself in different ways for everyone. For her, in addition to granting her super speed, it’s given her the ability to “track” people who are tapped into it. This helped her nail down her very own superhero alter ego, Fast Track.


Detective Comics #939

By James Tynion IV, Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira and Adriano Lucas

Finally free of the Colony’s base, Batman and his team have to regroup. Armed with new intel about Colonel Kane and his motivations, as well as the fact that he’s acting as a rogue government agent, Bruce plans on dismantling the Colony’s operations from the top down by communicating directly with the president. Meanwhile, Tim Drake attempts to rid his systems of any traces of Ulysses’ hacking, but in doing so, uncovers the Colony’s plan B—a new fleet of weaponized drones en route to kill any and all potential targets on Colonel Kane’s suspected League of Shadows kill list. If these drones make it to their marks, upwards of six hundred people could be killed. While the rest of the team springs into action to intercept the drones and rescue the targets before any blood is shed, Tim sets to work hacking their systems. There’s no chance of the five of them getting to six hundred people in time, but if every drone in the city were to converge on one target instead, they might have some hope. And there’s only one person Tim trusts enough to survive being the sole target of the attack: himself. Here’s hoping that trust isn’t misplaced.

Unforgettable Moment: Tim’s been dealing with a potential new path for his future for a while now. Back in issue #935, Tim told Steph that he’d been chosen for a prestigious scholarship that would effectively end his career as Red Robin. Now, he admits to her that he’s finally made the decision to accept it and maybe make a difference in the world in a way that doesn’t require a mask and a cape. Of course, he’ll have to survive the night if he wants to make that official.


Suicide Squad #1

By Rob Williams, Jim Lee, Scott Williams and Alex Sinclair

Waller, Flag and his second-in-command, Katana, travel to Belle Reve Penitentiary to select the crew for the Suicide Squad’s next mission: Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, June Moon and Killer Croc. The crew is blasted into space where they receive their mission briefing. A “cosmic item” of immense power was discovered and is currently being studied by a rogue Russian state in an undersea prison. They are to retrieve or destroy the object. As they make their descent, chaos ensues as Killer Croc gets sick in his space suit. Colonel Flag rushes to remove Croc’s helmet and save him from choking on his own vomit, but the move disrupts the ship’s precisely calculated balance, causing it to break apart as it spirals out of control. Hurtling towards the Earth at astonishing speeds, Flag calls out for June Moon to release her sorceress alter-ego, the Enchantress. Just before the group smashes into a slab of solid ice, the Enchantress casts a spell that opens a hole in the ice and sends the squad into the icy water beneath.

Unforgettable Moment: Flag is a leader, through-and-through. Sure, the Suicide Squad may be made up of scum, but no one dies on his watch. Saving Killer Croc is a testament to his dedication of keeping those around him alive.


Wonder Woman #4

By Greg Rucka, Nicola Scott and Romulo Fajardo Jr.

The Amazons get the greatly injured Steve Trevor in stable condition. Meanwhile, a council is held to discuss the strange belongings found on his plane—the major find being a handgun. Diana and Steve, despite their language barrier, begin to bond as he begins the healing process. Hippolyta decides Steve’s plane must be rebuilt and an Amazon will be chosen to accompany him back to the world of man—for they believe this to be the gods’ will. The Amazons hold a special session of the Games and battle to be the champion until only three remain. Pulling out Steve’s gun, Hippolyta declares a frightening contest to select the champion—whoever is capable of parrying the bullet will be declared victor. The first two Amazons fail, but the last, Diana, succeeds. Crowned the champion, Diana is given the Perfect (her lasso) and she boards the now-rebuilt (and invisible) plane that Steve and his men crash landed in. With a final goodbye, Wonder Woman is sent off to the world of man, never again to return to Themyscira.

Unforgettable Moment: Hands down, two panels make this book. When it comes time for Diana to parry the bullet, Lyta lifts the gun and points it at her daughter. Her look is of concern and regret. The look in Diana’s is of focus and determination. It’s a classic pose that sums up Wonder Woman perfectly!


Deathstroke #1

By Christopher Priest, Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz and Jeromy Cox

Slade Wilson’s past is coming back to haunt him. Literally. After a topsy turvy game of double crossing assassination contracts, Slade has found himself working with his old partner, Billy Wintergreen, in an effort to take down the Clock King before he and his benefactors facilitate the toppling of the government of a war-torn African country and sets into motion a genocide that could cost thousands of people their lives. Using his metahuman reflexes and knowledge of Clock King’s hypnotic and hallucinogenic manipulations, Slade launches an assault on the villain’s hideout, freeing his captives and making good on his contracts across the board—just, perhaps, not in a way that makes any of his employers all that pleased with him. If you’re going to hire the world’s deadliest assassin, make sure to double check the language of any agreement before you sign it. Now, with cash in hand, a genocide averted, and his death faked to the necessary parties, Slade is free to continue making his brutal, bloody way in the world. That is, of course, assuming no one catches on to any part of the ruse…

Unforgettable Moment: Reunions between contract killers are heartwarming in their own way. After escaping the Clock King’s hideout, Billy reveals to Slade that he’s believed this entire misadventure to be a hallucination—something he’s intimately familiar with after being held captive for over a year. To help assure him that they’re both very much real, Slade sucker punches him right in the jaw. Ah, friendship.


Action Comics #962

By Dan Jurgens, Stephen Segovia, Art Thibert and Ulises Arreola

Wonder Woman, Lois and Jon watch from the safety of the Justice League’s Watchtower as the masked men try to force Doomsday through a mysteriously powered gate. Doomsday breaks free, slaughtering the men and causing Superman to switch up his game plan. Superman decides to take off in the direction of his Fortress of Solitude—allowing Doomsday to follow him in. The hooded figure watches as the events unfold. Superman struggles against the brute, but in the knick of time, Wonder Woman intervenes—crushing Doomsday with her shield and buying Superman the time he needs to carry out his plan. Grabbing an improvised ray gun he constructed, Superman unleashes its blast on Doomsday—sending him to the Phantom Zone. Back in Metropolis, Lex continues his cleanup efforts where Superman pays him a visit and the two speak—both cautiously navigating the waters of ally and enemy. Superman then reunites with Lois and Jon. Elsewhere, the hooded figure intercepts the Doomsday projection while it’s on its way to the Phantom Zone.    

Unforgettable Moment: Easy…the final splash page. Why did the hooded figure intercept Doomsday as he was being sent to the Phantom Zone? What does he have up his sleeve?? We have so many questions!


Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #1

By Julie Benson, Shawna Benson, Claire Roe and Allen Passalaqua

Babs and Dinah’s hunt for information on the imposter Oracle has gotten even more complicated now that they’re on a collision course with Helena Bertinelli, who is carving a bloody path through Gotham’s mafia underground in a quest for vengeance. If they stand any chance of finding the fake Oracle, Babs and Dinah will need to find their informants before Helena does, or they’re going to find themselves trying to get answers from body bags. Unfortunately for all three ladies, they’re not the only people on the prowl in the seedier side of Gotham. Their fight over the fate of a mobster named Santo Cassamento is interrupted by a serpentine guest calling himself the Asp. He’s part of an attack force employed by a crime boss named Fenice, looking to clean up loose ends. Thankfully, Dinah, Bab, and Helena are able to fend off the Asp and save Cassamento’s life. The aftermath of the fight brokers an uneasy truce between the three of them—if they’re going to be tracking the same targets, they may as well do it together. That is, of course, assuming they can keep their respective hatchets buried for long enough to get anything done.

Unforgettable Moment: One of the first matters of business for the newly reestablished Birds of Prey is setting up a base of operations, and it just so happens Babs has a spot in mind. It may only be right twice a day but Birds of Prey fans will be delighted to see the return of the Gotham City Clock Tower as the team’s headquarters.


New Super-Man #2

By Gene Luen Yang, Viktor Bogdanovic, Richard Friend and HI-FI

Bat-Man and Wonder-Woman of China battle to subdue the brash new Super-Man. When Kong comes to after the fight, Dr. Omen explains that he will now be a part of the Justice League of China—a new league for a new era. Dr. Omen informs him that his powers have gone dormant for some reason and makes him wear a visor to shield his eyes, in case his powers and heat vision come back unexpectedly. The visor also works as a compliance device to keep him in check. Dr. Omen sends Bat-Man, Wonder-Woman and Super-Man to the home of Wei Le, the founder of China’s largest data consultant agency who looks to be the latest victim of the villain Sunbeam. Disregarding his orders to stay in the Bat-Mobile, Super-Man’s powers return and he intervenes—destroying Sunbeam’s weapon and allowing Wonder-Woman to lasso and subdue her. Never one to fly under the radar, Kong openly boasts about his triumph to the media arriving on the scene—revealing his face and name to the whole world.

Unforgettable Moment: The back-and-forth banter between Bat-Man and Super-Man is pure comedy!


Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #3

By Robert Venditti, Rafa Sandoval, Jordi Tarragona and Tomeu Morey

John Stewart’s power ring can’t find the location of Guy Gardner—who is in an unknown part of the galaxy with his back against a wall and his knuckles bloodied. Meanwhile, Hal fights a horde of Yellow Lanterns on Chall ‘Enn as he tries to free the planet’s captives. Sinestro speaks to the strange Administer Lash about a potential alliance between the Sinestro Corps and the mysterious sect known as the Sacrament—whom Lash explains was wiped out by the Green Lantern Corps. As Hal continues his battle against the Yellow Lanterns, he learns that Sinestro has unleashed his Sinestro Corps across the galaxy—driving up their power by capturing planets’ inhabitants and striking fear across the universe. As Hal races desperately to save a young prisoner of the Sinestro Corps, he is overwhelmed by a Yellow Lantern’s construct and sent plummeting to the ground—defeated.

Unforgettable Moment: This one goes to the conversation between Sinestro and Administer Lash. Who the heck is this guy and what is the Sacrament??


Superwoman #1

By Phil Jimenez, Matt Santorelli and Jeromy Cox

Not too long ago, a now-super-powered Lois Lane visited the farm of Superman’s old friend, Lana Lang. Lana had helped Superman learn to control his abilities and Lois is hoping she can do the same for her. Fast forward to today, where Lex is unveiling his newest creation to the world: The Gestalt—a massive warship resting in the waters of a Metropolis harbor. As he proudly shows it off, a mysterious being gives attack orders to another enigmatic figure. The water around the ship begins to violently churn and push the battle cruiser towards the McGuinness Bridge—where thousands of people will be killed. Lois swoops in, but she needs help. In a surprise twist, Lana turns into a Superwoman of her own—made up of pure red energy. We learn that Lois and Lana both gained their powers by absorbing the energy given off by Superman when he went nova in “The Last Days of Superman” story arc. The mysterious being that gave the attack order overlooks the events from a remote space station, just as the two stop the runaway ship from crashing into the bridge. As Lois and Lana inspect the vessel, they find its crew has been savagely murdered. Out of nowhere, a woman resembling someone from Bizarro world makes quick work of Lois—draining her of her powers and causing her to go nova just like Superman. She then turns her sights to Lana.  

Unforgettable Moment: There’s not even a debate on this one. It’s easily the moment Lana turns in her version of Superwoman. Her appearance is a throwback to the old Superman Red/Superman Blue story arc from the ‘90s…and that’s awesome!  


Red Hood and the Outlaws #1

By Scott Lobdell, Dexter Soy and Veronica Gandini

After an attempt to save the mayor’s life that ended up, thanks to an intervention from Batman, looking like a thwarted assassination scheme, the Red Hood has become a much more prominent figure in Gotham’s underground than he once was. So prominent, in fact, that Jason has found himself on the radar of crime lord Roman Sionis, the Black Mask. Sionis is moving his pieces all across the board, preparing to make some kind of power play, and it just so happens that he’s looking for an up-and-comer to step in as his second-in-command. He’s got his eyes on Jason for the position, which leaves Jason with the unique opportunity to go undercover in Black Mask’s operation and find out what his endgame actually is. Jason’s moral compass has never been flawless, but working under Sionis may prove challenging even for him, especially with the weight of Batman’s strict code of conduct looming all around him. And to make matters even worse, his first mission under Sionas’s order lands him face to face with a less-than-pleased Amazon warrior.

Unforgettable Moment: Jason takes a trip down memory lane, or, well, memory Crime Alley, with a return trip to Ma Gun’s School For Wayward Boys, a place he briefly called home after being apprehended by the Batman as a kid. Bat history fans can read all about Jason’s original encounter with Ma Gun in the stories that introduced him in BATMAN #408 and #409!


Green Lanterns #5

By Sam Humphries, Robson Rocha, Eduardo Pansica, Jay Leisten, Julio Ferreira and Blond

Simon and Jessica take on Skallox, Zilius Zox, Fury-6 and Haggor of the Red Lantern Corps. As the battle ensues, Atrocitus sends Dex-Starr to plant the Hell Seed in the core of the Hell Tower. Mid-fight, Simon receives a strange vision of the Justice League infected by rage as Atrocitus screams of the coming Red Dawn. Simon then turns his attention to Atrocitus—leaving Jessica to handle the four Red Lanterns on her own. Unable to handle the fight, the new Green Lantern succumbs to the fear and anxieties that wrecked havoc on her past—causing her to fall into a panic attack and hide from the Red Lanterns within the Hell Tower. Simon stands up to the hulking Atrocitus, unleashing his Emerald Sight on the brute as he did earlier to Bleez, but to no avail. In a last ditch effort, Simon points his Power Ring at Atrocitus—who grabs his arm and snaps it like a twig. Dex-Starr gets closer to planting the Hell Seed in Earth’s core as Simon and Jessica are down for the count.    

Unforgettable Moment: Simon’s Emerald Sight having no effect on Atrocitus leaves a lot of questions and shows just how deeply-engrained the rage must be inside him!


Earth 2: Society #15

By Dan Abnett, Tony Harris, Wade Von Grawbadger, Angel Hernandez and David Calderon of Ikari Studios

Batman and Firepattern recognize each other as father and son. As the rest of the Wonders come into the room, Firepattern escapes through a window—but not before Batman tags him with a tracking device and asks Huntress to follow him. Steel fights for his life in the medical room as the team regroups. It’s become clear now that the Ultrahumanite used his intellect to disguise himself as a passenger on one of the ships that came to this new world. Understanding the danger that the Ultrahumanite’s superior genius can bring, Alan decides to try and confront him head on—reaching out to the Ultrahumanite through a video monitor. The Lantern tries to convince the super-intelligent being that this new world poses threats to all of them, him included, and that they need to work together to survive. Unbeknownst to Alan, the Ultrahumanite has been using a powerful new mind-control device—allowing him to take over Alan’s mind and summon his Power Ring—turning him into Green Lantern. Now controlling the most powerful member of the Wonders, Ultrahumanite sets out to claim the Pandora Casket from the central vault of the tower. 

Unforgettable Moment: This one goes to the bad guys. Ultrahumanite taking over Alan’s mind as a way to control group’s heavy-hitter is a pretty slick move…hats off to you, sir!


Scooby Apocalypse #4

By Keith Giffen, J.m. DeMatteis, Howard Porter and HI-FI

Velma and Daphne’s feud continues, although it’s clear that Daphne is the one holding the grudge. The group gets their first real chance to catch their breath as they load up with supplies from the gas station. However, their break is short-lived, quickly coming under attack by a group of vampires. Using high-powered weapons they found in the Mystery Machine, they’re able to fight off the horde—although its leader managed to regenerate his body from the injuries he sustained and escape. The group sets out to find “The Four”—the group of scientists that developed the nanites responsible for the monster outbreak. Meanwhile, we witness some of the other dogs from the same program Scooby was in, out roaming the land and led by a small, fiery dog named Scrappy-Doo, who wants nothing more than to find Scooby and tear him apart. Later, while pulling over at a large convenience store to grab some food, Velma and Daphne share a moment of understanding. It’s here that they also discover that not everyone outside the “safe zone” was turned into a monster like they previously thought. As Shaggy and Fred load up with boxes of food, a group of demon-like monsters begins to gather around them.     

Unforgettable Moment: Pretty cool twist to see Scrappy is the leader of the dog crew that’s on the hunt for Scooby.
 

We'll be back in a week with another set of Reader Recaps. Also, don't miss our weekly new comic book unboxing every Tuesday on Periscope for an exclusive preview of the week's new comics!