DC Preview Review for January 2013

Jim: As long as that Mayan Calendar prediction is wrong we should be rolling into another new year very soon and this is what DC has to offer.  Of course right now we are still doing the reviews without Gwen (hi Gwen, hi Henry) as she is off being a new Mom.

While the new way DC is handling their lineup makes the picks a little harder to handle as new series are not always a monthly thing I have to give them credit as they aggressively try to manage the line up and make each book better. I think they miss as often as they hit, but they are trying and try to keep the genre fairly well mixed.

JUSTICE LEAGUE #16
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
Backup story art by GARY FRANK
Variant cover by LANGDON FOSS
1:100 B&W Variant cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
“We Can Be Heroes” Blank variant cover available
On sale JANUARY 23 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Retailers: This issue will ship with five covers. Please see the Order Form for details.
• “THRONE OF ATLANTIS” continues!
• Aquaman can barely hold on against Ocean Master even with the League by his side!
• The United States loses faith in the Justice League and enters the battle against Atlantis, setting in motion the creation of the Justice League of America!
• More on the Superman/Wonder Woman alliance! 
• Plus: In the backup story, the origin of SHAZAM! continues!

Jim: I can’t believe how much I don’t like DC’s flagship title. It has been poorly written and the characterization of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman don’t lineup with their other books. Also I prefer Marvel’s deal that if they charge $4 you get a free digital copy.

WONDER WOMAN #16
Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO
Art and cover by CLIFF CHIANG
1:25 B&W Variant cover by CLIFF CHIANG
On sale JANUARY 23 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. The variant cover will feature the standard edition cover in a wraparound format.
• Wonder Woman and her half brother Milan must grapple with the dangerous New God known as Orion!
• What strange alliance has the terrifying First Born made?

Jim: I’m not sure why but I very excited to see the reintroduction of the New Gods into the DCU. I think the idea of Azzarello re-imagining Jack Kirby’s re-imagining of the Norse Gods is going to be fun.

BATMAN #16
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Backup story written by SCOTT SNYDER and JAMES TYNION IV
Art by GREG CAPULLO and JONATHAN GLAPION
Backup story art by JOCK
Cover by GREG CAPULLO
Variant cover by AARON KUDER
1:100 B&W Variant cover by GREG CAPULLO
On sale JANUARY 16 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Retailers: This issue will ship with four covers. Please see the order form for more information.
• “DEATH OF THE FAMILY” continues!
• Batman heads into his showdown with The Joker as the madman’s plan is finally revealed – in Arkham Asylum!
• It all lead’s into next month’s terrifying conclusion!
• And in the backup story, in the midst of The Joker’s assault on Batman and his allies, get a secret glimpse into what started The Crown Prince of Crime on his horrifying journey!
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

Jim: This looks like this will be a great story arc. Snyder and Capullo have made this book DC’s true flagship title. Batman is now the main support for the entire DCU. The fear I have is that DC will continue to try and add titles under this banner. Still as long as they have good writers and artists on the books I will follow the books and pass on what does not interest me. The issue is DC’s is trying to keep it to 52 books and too much of Batman means not enough of some other character being given a shot.

THRESHOLD #1
Written by KEITH GIFFEN
Art by TOM RANEY
Backup story art by SCOTT KOLINS
Cover by HOWARD PORTER and JOHN DELL
1:100 Variant cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT
On sale JANUARY 16 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
• Introducing THE HUNTED, spinning directly out of this month’s GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS ANNUAL #1!
• Featuring the New 52 gallery of space heroes: The Star Rovers, Star Hawkins, Space Cabbie, Tom Tomorrow, Captain K’Rot, and Star Ranger!
• Also introducing Jediah Caul, a disgraced Green Lantern stripped of his power ring, who is hunted for sport on a televised reality show!• 
• LARFLEEZE steals the spotlight in his first ongoing series of backup stories! What happens when Larfleeze, the ultimate hoarder, is robbed...of everything!

Jim: Now this is an oddball entry. DC is throwing out a new #1 on its own, is it now the 53 instead of the 52? I read somewhere this book was meant to join the lineup earlier but some hiccup created a problem. Glad to see Giffen’s name on a book as he is a creator whose work I love to check out. Sometimes it is a home run and sometimes a strike out, but always worth looking in on.

ABSOLUTE BLACKEST NIGHT HC
Written by GEOFF JOHNS, PETER J. TOMASI and others
Art by IVAN REIS, OCLAIR ALBERT and others
Cover by IVAN REIS and OCLAIR ALBERT
Advance solicited • On sale JUNE 26 • 360 pg, FC, 8.25” x 12.5”, $99.99 US
• As the war between the Corps rages, the prophecy of the Blackest Night descends on the DC Universe! Can Hal Jordan lead DC’s champions against an army of Black Lanterns made up of the deceased heroes and villains?
• Collects the Free Comic Book Day BLACKEST NIGHT #0, BLACKEST NIGHT #1-8, UNTOLD TALES OF THE BLACKEST NIGHT #1 and DC UNIVERSE #0!

Jim: An easy pass for me. I enjoyed this series as it came out, but all the impact of the series was almost immediately removed with the New DCU resetting the universe. Plus I’m not sure the actual story holds together on its own.

INSURGENT #1
Written by F.J. DeSANTO and TODD FARMER
Art and cover by FEDERICO DALLOCCHIO
On sale JANUARY 16 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 6 • $2.99 US • RATED T+
• In the near future, the American government, using a powerful new form of nanotech, builds a secret military force composed of unknowing ordinary citizens…what would happen if a mysterious terrorist group started ACTIVATING these sleeping super soldiers for something far more sinister?
• Former government-sanctioned bounty hunter John Ravane is the one man who could possibly stop the second American Civil War…but that’s ONLY if he can be convinced—or coerced—into returning to active duty!
• Cutting-edge science fiction and hi-tech military action collide in this explosive new original miniseries!

Jim: Is this a video game tie-in? It sounds like it could be. Not sure where in the DC management structure this stuff is coming from, but it feels like the remnants of the Wildstorm group. Seeing Todd Farmer’s name on it made it a book to check out for me.

Jim: That puts another DC Preview Review to bed. I’m saddened that DC is not putting any effort into collecting their vast library of material. Maybe they could license Dark Horse to put collections together as they seem to be able to produce low print run books and must be making enough to keep doing it.