DC Preview Review for August Part 1 of 2

I'm breaking this into a two part post again this month. I find that blog post that go on for too long are probably not read past a certain point and I think breaking some post into two parts makes more sense. Part 2 will be posted first thing tomorrow.

Jim: The months are really flying by right now and I have to say that DC has a relatively interesting month, but has almost nothing from a trade or hard cover perspective to interest me. Lee: There’s always something interesting. It’s just a matter of weeding through the junk to find it.
Gwen: I don't really like coming up with opening and closing comments. Doing both seems redundant as I can't really make a relevant opening comment until I read through the solicitations and by then it's more of a closing comment.

BLACKEST NIGHT: BATMAN #1 Written by Peter J. Tomasi Art by Adrian Saef & John Dell Cover by Andy Kubert Variant cover by Bill Sienkiewicz Deadman can't shut out the cries of the dead rising as he comes to the aid of the new Batman. It’s just in time, too, as the duo face a circus of zombies including the Black Lantern Flying Graysons! BLACKEST NIGHT blankets Gotham City in this 3-issue miniseries from writer Peter J. Tomasi (GREEN LANTERN CORPS, THE MIGHTY) and hot new talent Adrian Saef! On sale August 12 • 1 of 3 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

BLACKEST NIGHT: SUPERMAN #1Written by James Robinson Art and cover by Eddy Barrows & Ruy Jose Variant cover by Shane Davis & Sandra Hope Black Lantern Superman has unearthed Pa Kent's grave! But that's only the beginning of the horrifying things he's about to unleash on an unsuspecting Smallville. Discover the demented evil of BLACKEST NIGHT in this 3-issue miniseries from writer James Robinson (SUPERMAN, STARMAN) and artist Eddy Barrows (TEEN TITANS, ACTION COMICS)!On sale August 19 • 1 of 3 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

BLACKEST NIGHT: TITANS #1 Written by J.T. Krul Art and cover by Ed Benes & Rob Hunter Variant cover by Brian Haberlin Black Lantern Titans are descending together onto Titans Island! Will the Titans be prepared to fight off their deceased allies? And how can Beast Boy not lose his heart to Black Lantern Terra? Explore the effect BLACKEST NIGHT has on the greater DC Universe in this 3-issue miniseries from writer J.T. Krul (JSA CLASSIFIED, Fathom) and superstar artist Ed Benes (JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA)! On sale August 26 • 1 of 3 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Jim: So it looks like for eight month we have to get five books every month to pick up on all the “Blackest Night” titles. That is actually doable compared to all the endless Dark Reign stuff Marvel is producing and these are all $3 books. I like the concept.
Lee: I fail to see how this is any different from DKR. I think you’re bias towards DC is blinding you to the fact this same old-same old from a different company. But, it’s nice to see mini-series still at $3.
Gwen: For a mega event this doesn't look to be all that bad. Still, I could go a year or two without any major cross-over events.

Jim: Lee I have a DC bias, but come on Dark Reign is like 10 to 12 books a month, compared to five and $4 versus $3 books for the most part.
Lee: Minor points at best. DC is just as bad as Marvel at making big, sprawling events. And, the latest Infinite Crisis tie in books just prove my points.

BATMAN: WIDENING GYRE #1 Written by Kevin Smith Art by Walter Flanagan & Art Thibert Cover by Bill Sienkiewicz Once again, Kevin Smith – the fan-favorite creator behind GREEN ARROW and Daredevil – teams up with Walter Flanagan – the artist on the acclaimed series BATMAN: CACOPHONY – for an all-new adventure starring The Caped Crusader. The stakes are high as Batman encounters a new vigilante under his wing amidst what Smith describes as a “backdrop of romance, intrigue, and geek-bait guest stars galore.” Trust us when we say that it’s as awesome as it sounds. BATMAN: WIDENING GYRE is just the start of things for Kevin in the Bat-Universe so get on board now!On sale August 26 • 1 of 6 • 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US

Jim: This is the other hand sounds boring. I’m not a huge Kevin Smith fan and I find the adulation he gets in some circles to be overdone. Pass.
Lee: This is the easiest wait for the trade selection decision I’ve ever had to make. Smith is one of the worst at producing work late. Unless all six issues are done NOW the series won’t be complete until 2011.
Gwen: Is it just me or does this solicitation tell us next to nothing about the product? If I'm going to be interested in a new book I at least want an idea about the plot before picking it up. I guess they just assume that knowing Batman is in it is enough. Honestly I'm more likely to read a random book without knowing anything about it than a Batman story. There are so many Batman stories to choose from that it's impossible to read them all so why read one that only tells me that Batman encounters a new vigilante?

Jim: Gwen good point it is a vacuous solicitation.

BATGIRL #1 Written by Bryan Q. Miller Art by Lee Garbett & Trevor Scott Cover by Phil Noto Variant cover by J.G. Jones In the wake of “Batman R.I.P.” and BATTLE FOR THE COWL, a new heroine has emerged in Gotham City, and as she begins her nocturnal crusade to take back the night, she will truly learn what it means to wear the mantle of the Bat. But who is this young woman, and why has she donned the cape and cowl? On sale August 19 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Jim: Okay once again we are into the big mystery crap of who is the next Batgirl. Is it Babs again or someone else. I almost don’t care at this point. I never like Cassie in the suit, so someone new would be fine.
Lee: What happened to the other Batgirl that came out of No Man’s Land? Did I miss something? Was she… oooohhhh…. Too controversial. Whatever! Batgirl has become a costume with a rotating warm body. I have my doubts this version will do better than the last.
Gwen: I think that Barbra Gordon was Batgirl and that there was never any real reason for a new one. Babs became Oracle, Cassie fell flat, no need to create a new Batgirl. I think the only person I could see eventually taking up the name is Misfit.

ADVENTURE COMICS #1 Written by Geoff Johns Art by Francis Manapul, co-feature art by Clayton Henry Covers by Francis Manapul It's the return of one of DC Comics' longest running books and one of its greatest modern-day heroes – Conner Kent! In our first heroic issue, Superboy can't wait to jump back into his life – but which life will it be? With a clarity he's never had before, Conner makes a beeline for the greatest place on Earth...Smallville? Plus, in the wake of FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS, Starman heads off on an all-new mission in the present. And it's one that will not only impact Superboy, but the future of the DC Universe itself. Fortunately, the off-kilter Legionnaire won't be dong it alone! And in the upcoming months of ADVENTURE COMICS look for Lex Luthor! Brainiac! Lightning Lad! Superboy's pal Simple Simon! Sun Boy and Polar Boy! Ultra, the Multi Alien! Wonder Girl! Black Lantern Alexander Luthor! And many, many more new and familiar faces!Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Francis Manapul), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Francis Manapul and renamed ADVENTURE COMICS #504). On sale August 12 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

Jim: First off this sounds interesting, but we will see. Second I like the variant cover idea where the variant goes back to the original numbering of the series.
Lee: I guess this sounds interesting. Since I haven’t read Superman in awhile this makes no sense to me. There’s no pull for new readers. Shouldn’t the hype read “Excellent Jumping on Point?” I can’t be expected to buy a book without them telling me to jump on now. I could be lost.
Gwen: It involves the Legion of Superheroes so I will probably enjoy it :)

THE RED CIRCLE J. Michael Straczynski dives into the DC Universe at last – and he’s bringing four of the finest heroes of the Golden and Silver Ages with him! Completely reimagined for the modern world from their original appearances in Archie/MLJ publications, these four heroes will show you a side of the DC Universe you’ve never seen before!Arriving weekly throughout the month of August, these specials thrust four amazing new characters into the heart of the DC story!

THE RED CIRCLE: THE HANGMAN #1 Written by J. Michael Straczynski Art by Tom Derenick & Bill Sienkiewicz Cover by Jesus Saiz The Civil War claimed many lives…but one of those lives still hasn’t ended! Union doctor Robert Dickering found himself on the wrong side of the battle lines, and despite his heroic treatment of a fallen enemy soldier, he also found himself on the wrong end of a noose! But a shadowy power stepped forth in the twilit moments between life and death and offered him a deal he couldn’t refuse: to forever roam the Earth, saving the lives of innocents condemned like himself – or hastening the deaths of the guilty! But in taking the seemingly righteous mission of the Hangman, has he accepted God’s work? Or has he become the vengeful fist of the Devil himself? Featuring art by Tom Derenick and Bill Sienkiewicz, the acclaimed team behind REIGN IN HELL!On sale August 5 • 32 pg, one shot, FC, $2.99 US

THE RED CIRCLE: INFERNO #1 Written by J. Michael Straczynski Art by Greg Scott Cover by Jesus Saiz The mysterious stranger was brought into the hospital with one name on his lips: “Frank Verrano.” He has no memory of who he was, where he came from, or how he could possibly be the only survivor of a bombing attack on a cruise liner that killed hundreds of people. But as deep as that mystery runs, a violent attack on the hospital opens a deeper one. How can this man burst into flames…and survive? And why does the man who stands in those flames, the man know as the Inferno, look nothing like the one who stood in his place just seconds before? Blaze into this thrilling issue featuring art by Greg Scott (GOTHAM CENTRAL)!On sale August 12 • 32 pg, one shot, FC, $2.99 US

THE RED CIRCLE: THE WEB #1 Written by J. Michael Straczynski Art by Roger Robinson & Hilary Barta Cover by Jesus Saiz Billionaire John Raymond has it all – fame, fortune, and a brilliant mind! He also has a brother with the one trait John lacks: compassion. No matter how relentlessly awe-inspiring John’s achievements get, it’s his brother who’s always seen as the hero. So John sets out to upstage his brother one more time. He’ll show the world just how much heroism money can buy as the amazing (and suspiciously well-equipped) Web. But when a dark fate arrives for his brother, John learns first-hand what a hero leaves on the line, and that there are worse losses than the ones that hit your checkbook! Featuring art by Roger Robinson (THE BRAVE & THE BOLD, BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS)!On sale August 19 • 32 pg, one shot, FC, $2.99 US

THE RED CIRCLE: THE SHIELD #1 Written by J. Michael Straczynski Art by Scott McDaniel & Andy Owens Cover by Jesus Saiz Lieutenant Joe Higgins was dying in the dirt of a battlefield in Afghanistan when they whisked him away to a top-secret facility and saved his life with nanotechnology so experimental they couldn’t dare to use it on a living man. Now Higgins has been enlisted to a whole new mission – to be the public face of the American fighting man as the patriotic Shield! But today’s grueling military battles test the limits of patriotism and the limits of the technology that keeps him alive. And the shocking secret behind that technology may be too much for his bullet-riddled heart to bear. Featuring art from Marco Rudy (FINAL CRISIS)!On sale August 26 • 32 pg, one shot, FC, $2.99 US

Jim: Alright DC is about to do it again. Recently DC has done various one-shots where they have done some terrific stories with characters and then we never see anything again. Case in point Deathstroke was reset in a one shot recently and then almost nothing for months. DC keeps giving us good stories that hint of greater things to come and never delivers. This seems like more of the same as no follow-up or new series have been announced behind this introduction. Plus they have just added Milestone characters and hardly used them and have a Doc Savage thing going on. Too many pots and not enough cooks. UPDATE: DC has annouced two new ongoing series coming out next month.
Lee: This isn’t any different from Marvel’s fifth week events. How about Marvel Monsters or Westerns? Is it any different from the Tangent Universe that DC’s never done anything with? Why can’t these just be good stand alone stories for entertainments sake? Straczynski is a very good writer and I’m sure he’ll have some thread that ties all the issues together. I, for one, am really looking forward to this.
Gwen: I just can't seem to muster up much of an interest in these at the moment. Maybe they'll be great when they come out but I guess I'll have to wait and see.

PART 2 TOMORROW