For the first time in years, the Batman and Superman team-up book is titled World’s Finest, and issue #1 lives up to the claim.
The News
Pride is right around the corner, and with the way comics publishing works, that means that it’s time to release the lineup of books that the various companies are pushing for that initiative. The one thing I’ll note about DC this last year in regards to Pride is that they followed through on what they said this time last year. That June would be the spotlight for those books and characters, but they would carry the initiative throughout the year. And true enough, over the next several months we had Tim Drake come out, and then Jon Kent come out, plus several mini-series focused on queer leads or romances. June gets the big focus, but DC made an effort to provide representation throughout the year.
As they launch this year’s initiative, it looks similar. More mini-series starting in June alongside the second annual Pride special, along with a Tim Drake one-shot. But here are the two biggest things I took from this announcement:
- The talent contributing to the special is completely new talent from last year’s book. This signifies a focus on rising stars and new talent while giving last year’s contributors opportunities outside the one-shot (like Danny Lore writing the Teen Justice mini-series)! This grows the stable of writers at DC telling these kinds of stories and sets them up to be the next big thing. This is even more important in my eyes than the on-page representation.
- The cover this year focuses on characters from each of DC’s six biggest “families.” Superman is represented by Jon Kent, the bisexual Superman of Earth. Batman is represented by his bisexual son Tim Drake, soon to be featured in another Young Justice book. Wonder Woman is represented by Nubia, Queen of Themyscira, hot off the heels of one mini-series and leading directly into another. Flash is represented by Kid Quick, the breakout star of the upcoming Teen Justice. The Green Lanterns send Jo Mullein to the cover, even as she’s one of the leads of the Green Lantern title. And coming right out of his own mini-series and a co-starring role in the ongoing Aquamen is one of the Aquamen, Jackson Hyde. The fact that all six big families are represented, and all six are represented by a character currently starring in a monthly title? That’s hugely significant.
Highlights
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #1
Aditya Bidikar (letters), Tamra Bonvillain (colors), Dan Mora (art and cover), Mark Waid (writer)
This book was an absolute breath of fresh air. This series is set in the nebulous past, towards the beginning of both characters’ careers, but deep enough in that years have passed since their first meeting. Honestly, I think this approach to DC books is a fantastic way to go about the massive knot that is their 80+ year continuity. Let your creative teams tell the stories they want in the eras they want, no need to nail it to a year, just tell a good story. And boy, as much as I was sad to see Mora leave Detective, getting to see him play with Superman and other characters outside of Gotham is an absolute delight. I can’t wait for the next issue when he’s bringing in Kara (in the costume she wore for all of three issues before adding a headband to it in 1984).
Grade: A+
Catwoman #41
Jeff Dékal (cover), Veronica Gandini (colors), Tini Howard (writer), Nico Leon (art), Tom Napolitano (letters)
We’re now a few issues into Tini Howard’s Catwoman run, and as high of a bar that Ram V left on the title, she’s easily hurdled it. This is far and away the best Catwoman series I’ve ever read, and it’s also the queerest. In this issue, you can cut the sexual tension between Selina and Onyx with a knife, as best illustrated by Dékal’s cover. Inside, Selina even muses “This hunk of a woman is Onyx Adams, a League of Assassins-trained killer, who retired and took up vigilantism in Gotham. She and Bruce always got along — they’ve both got big biceps and big opinions. I have a type.” DC is allowing Howard to write Selina as unabashedly, openly queer, and god, if that doesn’t describe the differences between this book and Howard’s Excalibur I don’t know what does.
Grade: A
Human Target #6
Clayton Cowles (letters), Tom King (writer), Greg Smallwood (art and cover)
I’m tired of writing about Tom King. You’re probably tired of me writing about Tom King. Yet, King insists on giving me reasons to do so. In an issue that sees a lot of parallels to the current saga unfolding between the abusive Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. Guy Gardner plays the role of West in this scenario, right down to the stalker-like behavior and violent threats (and even violent actions). Couple this with King proclaiming that Guy is a space cop that turns his location tracking off, and really he makes Guy completely unredeemable. And yet? Guy isn’t the worst character in this story. No that goes to Christopher Chance who murders a restrained Guy Gardner while delivering a Tom King one-liner. Having someone tell a ha-ha when they perform a murder isn’t actually funny Tom.
Grade: F
Grades
A+
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #1
A
Batgirls #4
Batman: The Knight #3
Catwoman #41
Detective Comics #1055-1058
Nightwing #90
Rogues #1
Static: Season One #6
Superman: Son of Kal-El #9
The Nice House on the Lake #7
Trial of the Amazons #1
War for Earth-3 #1
B
Action Comics #1041
Aquaman/Green Arrow – Deep Target #6
Aquamen #2
Arkham City: The Order of the World #6
Batman: Urban Legends #13
Harley Quinn #13
I Am Batman #7
Icon and Rocket: Season One #6
Justice League Incarnate #5
Monkey Prince #2
Naomi: Season Two #1
Nubia & the Amazons #6
One-Star Squadron #4
Refrigerator Full of Heads #5
Robin #12
Suicide Squad #13
Task Force Z #6
The Joker #13
Trial of the Amazons: Wonder Girl #1
Wonder Woman # 785
Wonder Woman: Evolution #5
World of Krypton #4
C
Batman #121
Batman: Killing Time #1
Dark Knights of Steel #5
DC Horror Presents: Soul Plumber #6
Deathstroke Inc. #7
Future State: Gotham #11
Justice League #73-74
Justice League vs. the Legion of Super-Heroes #2
Robins #5
The Flash #780
Titans United #7
D
Blue & Gold #7
Superman vs Lobo #3
Teen Titans Academy #13
F
The Human Target #6
Solicitation Situation
DC Pride 2022 #1
- Written by DEVIN GRAYSON, STEPHANIE WILLIAMS, TRAVIS G. MOORE, ALYSSA WONG, and others
- Art by NICK ROBLES, BRITTNEY WILLIAMS, EVAN CAGLE, W. SCOTT FORBES, and others
- Cover by PHIL JIMENEZ
- Wraparound variant cover by JOSHUA “SWAY” SWABY
- 1:25 foil variant cover by JEN BARTEL
- $9.99 US | 104 pages | One-shot | Prestige Format
- ON SALE 5/31/22
DC’s 2022 celebration kicks off with more stories, more characters, and more pride than ever before! This anthology features 13 all-new stories spotlighting LGBTQIA+ fan-favorites new and old including Superman (Jon Kent), Nubia, Tim Drake, Kid Quick, Aquaman (Jackson Hyde), Green Lantern (Jo Mullein), Alysia Yeoh, the Ray, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Batwoman, and more! This special also includes:
• A Multiversity: Teen Justice kickoff story spotlighting Kid Quick and written by
the miniseries team, Danny Lore and Ivan Cohen!
• An introduction by activist, actress, and real-life superhero Nicole Maines that
will include a teaser for her upcoming Dreamer project!
• Pinups by P. Craig Russell, J.J. Kirby, and more!
I know I talked about it a lot in the News section, but really how could it be any other thing to lead this section of my column? Plus, a tease of Nicole Maines’ upcoming Dreamer project!
Catwoman#44
- Written by TINI HOWARD
- Art by BENGAL
- Cover by JEFF DÉKAL
- Variant cover by JENNY FRISON
- 1:25 variant cover by SOZOMAIKA
- $3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
- ON SALE 6/21/22
Harley Quinn and Catwoman get their gals’ out-of-town trip at the roller derby crashed when some mysterious creep runs them off the road…and then follows them around at the derby! But this is Catwoman and Harley Quinn—you stalk them, and you’ll pay for it…maybe with a limb or two. Meanwhile, there seems to be more than one lurker in the shadows, because Red Claw is on scene looking for the girls too…but you’ll have to pick up the issue to find out why!
This Jenny Frison cover. Just… phew.
Since March was a five Tuesday month I’ll have the rest of the books for you with April’s Pubwatch!
