DC Previews Review for October

Jim: So in scanning through the new books this month, I feel like it is a seminal event as I’m not ordering a single hard cover or trade this month from DC. Lots of regular books, but no hard covers.
Lee: You're not ordering a single hc? Wow. That does say a lot.
Gwen: Yeah? What exactly does that say? People do that all the time - 'wow, that says a lot'. Really, does it actually say something or are you just hoping some one else will tell you what it means?

FINAL CRISIS: SUBMIT #1 Written by Grant Morrison Art by Matthew Clark & Norm Rapmund Covers by Matthew Clark and Rodolfo Migilari In a world overrun by Darkseid's Anti-Life Equation and his relentless storm troopers, do you choose to SUBMIT? As the lines between Super Hero and Super-Villain become blurred, the ultimate odd couple of Black Lightning and Tattoo Man, in what could be their final adventure, battle against the odds to save a family from the great darkness.On sale October 1 * 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Jim: This is one of three one shots tying into Final Crisis this month. I have to admit that I’m still trying to get my head around this series and I’m avoiding a lot of articles on it so I can try to judge it on its merits.
Lee: GROAN. Here we go again. Another month of trying to think of interesting things to say. At least when Gwen went second I could make fun of her. Now I have to carry the whole humor load myself.
Gwen: I like this way better. Making fun of Lee just comes naturally.

FINAL CRISIS: RESIST #1 Written by Greg Rucka & Eric Trautmann Art by Ryan Sook Covers by Ryan Sook and Rodolfo Migliari In a world overrun by Darkseid's Anti-Life Equation and his relentless storm troopers, do you choose to RESIST? The world's only hope for survival depends on one-time JLA mascot Snapper Carr, Mr. Terrific, and Checkmate. With the aid of the villainous Cheetah, Snapper must rally the various factions of Checkmate and awaken an evil from a Crisis past. Could this actually be the end?On sale October 22 * 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Jim: The second one shot. Starring Snapper Carr, really Snapper Carr? Greg Rucka, Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns are all top writers so we will see, nice to see Ryan Sook back on a comic.
Lee: WHAT? No no no. Making fun of Lee does not come naturally. I'm an innocent victim being railroaded here. There is no making fun of Lee
Gwen: Sparky, you are mistaken. I mean I can still pull up that picture from Baltimore con last year and start snickering. Seriously, you wore a t-shirt featuring people in a swimming pool. What is that? Also, it's pretty easy to make fun of old people, even you have to admit that.

FINAL CRISIS: RAGE OF THE RED LANTERNS #1 Written by Geoff Johns Art and covers by Shane Davis & Sandra Hope The prelude to "The Blackest Night" begins here!They come from a place of great anger and hatred. They arethe Red Lanterns and they will have their revenge against the greatest Green Lantern - Sinestro. That is, unless the Guardians have theirs first.On sale October 15 * 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Jim: The last of the one shots and I’m sold on this. First it is more of Johns color Lanterns stuff and then it is Shane Davis on pencils.
Lee: I will have you know THAT is a classic shirt. If I were so inclined... and I'm not... I could sell that thing for a fortune on ebay. And, young people are just as easy to make fun of. Seen the hair photo from the fan mail????

Gwen: Yes, but that's not actually a picture of me =P

SUPERMAN AND BATMAN VS. VAMPIRES AND WEREWOLVES #1-2 Written by Kevin VanHookArt and cover by Tom Mandrake A man is killed by a mysterious creature - his body drained of blood. A woman is savagely attacked by a ferocious beast - her jugular ripped out. Bat wings flutter across the moon and the howl of a wolf echoes through the streets, for the creatures of the night have risen from the grave, and humanity's only salvation is the combined might of The Last Son of Krypton and The Dark Knight Detective. Blood will run red when Superman and Batman face off against vampires and werewolves for the fate of the entire DCU!Issue #1 on sale October 15 * Issue #2 on sale October 29 * 1 and 2 of 6 * 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Jim: Well facing off for the fate of the DCU is a bit over the top, don’t you think? Who green light this project? I’m buying it, but I like Tom Mandrake’s art and it could be fun, but I’m skeptical that this will get any notice while Final Crisis is ongoing.
Lee: Oh, now it’s not really you? So you say. Let's get back to comics. Now this book here you would like... if you were old enough to read.

Gwen: You're just jealous of my youth and beauty. You remember your own days of youthful innocence and realize that now you're old and fogey and can never again be a gorgeous as I am. Poor Lee, don't forget your cane!

VIXEN: RETURN OF THE LION #1 Written by G. Willow Wilson Art by CafuCover by Josh Middleton On a mission against the mega-mobsters of Intergang, the Justice League makes a stunning discovery revealing the truth behind the death of Vixen's mother. Long ago, poachers were fingered in her murder, but stunning proof arrives exposing the identity of her real killer! And the man responsible is still alive, making a vicious play for power in the homeland Vixen left years ago.This groundbreaking 5-issue miniseries by rising stars G. Willow Wilson (OUTSIDERS: AQUAMAN/METAMORPHO, CAIRO, AIR) and Cafu (Black Panther) plunges the League's animal-powered warrior into a deeply spiritual, but instantly deadly, quest for vengeance - and draws the League itself into the newest chapter of Intergang's ever-expanding race for domination.On sale October 1 * 1 of 5 * 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Jim: I love when some head honcho decides a character should be a bigger player and tries to shove said character down our throat. DC wants Vixen to be a bigger player in the DCU, so she will be spotlighted. Still if done right she should be enjoyable as long as they get her back to her animal powers. Is it just me or did the cover artist just make Halle Berry into Vixen?
Lee: CANE???? Listen whipper snapper, I dare you to come over here and say that to me! But, you’ll have to let go of the couch to get here and we both know you’ll fall right over.
Gwen: Sadly Lee, you're the one who's prone to falling over. Don't get so riled up Gramps, we wouldn't want to have to hook you back up to your oxygen.

TERROR TITANS #1 Written by Sean McKeeverArt and cover by Joe Bennett & Jack Jadson They stood against the Teen Titans, and now the Terror Titans spin off into their own miniseries! Clock King hatches a plan for his team of teenage legacy villains, as well as their deadly new member - the Teen Titans' own Ravager! But if he's to succeed, Clock King must first stabilize the underground metahuman gladiator arena known as the Dark Side Club! Join TEEN TITANS scribe Sean McKeever and artist Joe Bennett (52, CHECKMATE) for a journey into the darkest, coldest and most brutal corners of the teen psyche!On sale October 1 * 1 of 6 * 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Jim: This is a highly unanticipated series. Sean is doing a good job with the Titans, but hasn’t really hit it out of the park yet and he was being touted as a 30/35 home run guy. Maybe adjusting his position to right field will help.
Lee: Oh I didn’t see that one coming. Ha ha ho ho it is to laugh. What Dr. Suess book did you get that out of?
Gwen: This is getting us no where. Obviously, in your advanced years, you have forgotten that we are supposed to be commenting on comic books.

BATMAN #681 Written by Grant Morrison Art by Tony Daniel & Sandu Florea Cover by Alex RossVariant cover by Tony Daniel This is it - "Batman R.I.P." concludes here! The final, heartrending confrontation between Bruce Wayne and Jezebel Jet. The final fate of The Dark Knight. And the horrifying and shocking truth behind the Black Glove. With The Joker, the Club of Villains, Robin, Damian, plus an ending you'll never see coming - this one has it all!On sale October 29 * 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Jim: Fans have been very divided on this and I know that I have gotten on the fence as I have no clue what is going on anymore and Morrison can be great or he can miss big time.
Lee: Fine. Even though you slipped in a late crass remark, one of us has to act like an adult so it may as well be me. Let’s move on.
Gwen: Well I suppose if senility can be considered adulthood - but I digress. You want to get back to comic books? Fine then. Fine!

BATMAN: PRIVATE CASEBOOK HC Written by Paul Dini and Peter MilliganArt by Dustin Nguyen & Derek FridolfsCover by Dustin NguyenCollecting DETECTIVE COMICS #840-845, plus a story from the INFINITE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL, this hard-hitting new BATMAN volume pits The Dark Knight and guest-star Zatanna against the new Ventriloquist and still-the-same Scarface, as well as Talia al Ghul, The Riddler and more.Advance-solicited; on sale December 17 * 160 pg, FC, $19.99 US
Jim: Dini has had a really strong run on Batman and this is a good way to read the material. I just wish they would do 12 issues hard covers and then I’d be buying this book.
Lee: What’s with the sudden outburst of fines? What’s wrong now? It’s about time they put Dini’s Batman in hc.
Gwen: Nothing is wrong. Did I say anything was wrong? No, I didn’t. Can we please get back to DC books? Dini's work is super cool. At least I'm trying to maintain a focus on discussing comic books here.

SUPERMAN: NEW KRYPTON SPECIAL #1 Written by Geoff Johns, James Robinson and Sterling GatesArt by Gary Frank & Jon Sibal, Renato Guedes & Wilson Magalhaes, and Pete WoodsCover by Gary FrankVariant cover by Renato Guedes & Wilson Magalhaes A "Sightings" issue! "New Krypton" Part 1 of 9! The entire Superman franchise writing team joins forces, with art by Pete Woods and others, to formally launch the Superman event years in the making! While the current threat of Brainiac may have been forestalled in ACTION COMICS #870, the repercussions will be felt for a long, long time. Superman's greatest victory has lead to his happiest day - and his saddest. Gains are balanced by losses while Superman has to figure out what to do with 100,000 Kryptonians! Hold on to your capes as this story leads directly into SUPERMAN #681.On sale October 22 * 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US
Jim: I’m not going to hold onto my cape (as I don’t have a cape, despite rumors to the contrary), but this does look to be a fascinating change to the current Superman mythos.
Lee: You call that a discussion? You said fine forty times. That wasn’t a discussion. That was you being moody. M-O-O-D-Y. Moody.
Gwen: On no you didn’t. Don’t you dare go there!

THE SPIRIT ARCHIVES VOL. 26 HC Written by Will EisnerArt and cover by Will EisnerThe very last SPIRIT ARCHIVES volume brings this award-winning series to a spectacular end! This amazing collection features nearly impossible-to-find post-1952 Spirit material by legendary creator Will Eisner including stories originally published by companies including Harvey Comics, Kitchen Sink Press, The New York Herald Tribune and many more!Closing the door on DC's massive republishing effort of classic comics spotlighting the Spirit, this volume is a genuine collector's treasure trove. Old fans and new readers alike won't want to miss this farewell edition!Advance-solicited; on sale December 31 * 252 pg, FC,$59.99 US
Jim: The Archives program is coming to an end but DC still managed to complete the entire Spirit series. They couldn’t finish the Legion Archives but they could finish this. Go figure.
Lee: What now? I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true. Try acting older than a high school girl and maybe we could have a real conversation.
Gwen: Just because you’re old doesn’t give you the right to say anything you want. Now you’re just being obnoxious. You are such an old geezer.

THE FERRYMAN #1 Written by Marc AndreykoArt and cover by Jonathan Wayshak Who are The Ferrymen? If you mix the deadliest qualities of Blackwater operatives, skip tracers and expert trackers, you might have an idea. And Gideon Thorne is the best Ferryman out there. In the exclusive employ of the sinister entrepreneur Mr. Webster, Gideon always gets his man, no matter the obstacle. Don't miss out on the start of this explosive miniseries from the mind of legendary movie producer Joel Silver, written by Marc Andreyko (MANHUNTER) with art by rising star Jonathan Wayshak!And in issue #2, Ferryman Gideon Thorne won't let a little thing like being dead keep him from getting a job done, because when you're a Ferryman, failure is not an option. The question is: who's his target . . . and who is Thorne really working for?Issue #1 on sale October 8 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Jim: Joel Silver is not a plus, but the cover looks good and Marc Andreyko is a good writer, so I’m going to try this series out.
Lee: Wha? Who? Are you kidding me? Did you read your last comment when you called me a geezer? Who’s being immature now?
Gwen: I’m not going to have this conversation anymore.

TOP 10 SEASON TWO #1 Written by Zander CannonArt and cover by Gene HaAMERICA'S BEST COMICS. A new season dawns in the science-city of Neopolis! A new commissioner, along with some new rules, comes to Precinct 10, as Slipstream Phoenix, a rookie cop with an ugly secret, fights for respect among his new peers. Meanwhile, Shock-Headed Peter and the Dust Devil investigate a mysterious, ancient drug dealer, and a very public multiple homicide sets Captain Jetman and Lieutenant Peregrine scrambling for answers.The police procedural crime and intrigue continue in this new series based on concepts and characters created by legendary writer Alan Moore (WATCHMEN, V FOR VENDETTA).On sale October 1 * 1 of 4 * 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
Jim: It is not Alan Moore writing, but it is Gene Ha drawing, so I’m happy to try someone else take on a great series – THAT NEEDS AN ABSOLUTE EDITION!
Lee: You’re not… GASP GASP. Fine. Let’s move on then. How about you go to your side of the blog and I’ll go to my side of the blog and neither shall cross the center line.
Gwen: That doesn’t make any sense there are no sides to a blog but if you want to go to your “side” of the blog that’s fine by me.

UNKNOWN SOLDIER #1 Written by Joshua DysartArt by Alberto Ponticelli Cover by Igor KordeyVariant cover by Richard Corben Welcome to Northern Uganda. In 2002, it's a place where tourists are hacked to death with machetes, 12-year-olds with AK-47s wage war, and celebrities futilely try to get people to care. Moses Lwanga is a pacifist doctor caught at the center. But when his life is threatened, Moses suddenly realizes he knows how to kill all too well. What is this voice telling him the only way to fix what's wrong with the country is by slaughtering those responsible? And what is Moses' connection to another past bandage-wrapped warrior?Written by Joshua Dysart (SWAMP THING, B.P.R.D. 1946), who spent a month in Uganda doing research, with art by Alberto Ponticelli (Sam & Twitch) and covers by Igor Kordey (New X-Men), UNKNOWN SOLDIER is a monthly-shipping, all-new interpretation of the classic DC character.On sale October 22 * 32 pg, FC $2.99 US * MATURE READERS
Jim: Always nice to see someone take an old concept, dust it off and try to fit it into something more contemporary.
Lee: * * * silence * * *
Gwen: * * * crickets chirping * * *

KILL YOUR BOYFRIEND -- NEW PRINTING Written by Grant MorrisonArt by Philip Bond & D'IsraeliCover by Philip Bond"Slim and fast, KILL YOUR BOYFRIEND is perfectly teenaged pop perfection, equal parts glam and bang, sex and violence, whimsy and menace." -- Matt Fraction on artbomb.netA Vertigo cult classic returns with this new, third printing of KILL YOUR BOYFRIEND, written by Grant Morrison (FINAL CRISIS, THE INVISIBLES) and illustrated by Philip Bond (VIMANARAMA) and D'Israeli (THE SANDMAN). Originally published in 1995, KILL YOUR BOYFRIEND is an over-the-top black comedy of rebellion and teen romance topped with a heady mix of random violence and dark humor.A British schoolgirl yearning for excitement joins up with an angry rebel boy intent on tearing down middle-class England. Through their violent, anti-authority joyride - filled with sex, drugs, and anarchy - Morrison offers a scathing, often-hilarious take on the British suburban landscape, where edgy behavior provides an escape from sanity. This new printing also includes Morrison's 1998 afterword to the story and the origami "fortune teller," with bizarre messages specially created by Morrison.On sale October 29 * 64 pg, FC, $5.99 US, Prestige Format * MATURE READERS Jim: Cult classic? I don’t even remember this being released the first time. Must have been a small cult.
Lee: Look, here’s another book. You want to try commenting on this one?
Gwen: Are you going to continue to be obnoxious? Because I refuse to play whatever game you’re playing.

WOMEN OF THE DC UNIVERSE: SERIES 2: SHAZAM! MARY BUST Designed by Terry Dodson * Sculpted by James Shoop
The popular WOMEN OF THE DC UNIVERSE line of cold-cast porcelain busts continues with Billy Batson's sister, Mary, who shares the power of Shazam!
With her profile on the rise coming out of COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS, the heroine is dressed in her modern costume as she strikes an evocative pose. She stands atop a lightning bolt base, made of clear resin.
This MARY BUST measures approximately 6.25" high x 2.5" wide x 3.25" deep and is packaged in a 4-color box and she is a good full “c” cup.
Advance solicited; on sale March 18, 2009 * Bust * $55 US Jim: Okay I modified the solicitation a little, but given what they are selling here, shouldn’t this have been the dark version of Mary Marvel.
Lee: I’m not...... OOOHHHH! AAUUUGGHHH! Aright then, I’m sorry if I offended you. I’ll try not to be obnoxious.
Gwen: Was that so hard? Actually, for you it probably is because you’re always obnoxious. Well, would you look at that, this is the last book. In that case, Lee is an old fart with little to no taste in clothes.

Jim: No hard covers, no trades, I can’t believe it; it’s like getting over an addiction. I’m sure someone else will have something to feed my habit.
Lee: WHAT WAS THAT ON THE LAST BOOK? Whatever. DC has books. Go read one.
Gwen: That was nothing on the last book, just a statement of facts. I apologize for Lee being so crotchety, it's way past his bedtime. But we can agree on this, Go read DC books.

Jim: Sigh!