DC PUBWATCH – April 2022 Edition

DC Pubwatch - October

World’s Finest #2 adds another cast member as it retains the number one position in my monthly rankings.

The News

The biggest news again this month was Pride-related, as Nicole Maines’ Dreamer project was finally revealed. She’s working with Tom Taylor on Superman: Son of Kal-El #13 to bring the character into the main DC Universe. This is a trans woman getting the opportunity to co-write one of DC’s flagship titles, and to bring a trans superhero into the main DC universe at the same time. I am so incredibly pumped for this.

Highlights

Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #2
Aditya Bidikar (letters), Tamra Bonvillain (colors), Dan Mora (art and cover), Mark Waid (writer)

Batman and Superman coming towards the reader in front of silhouettes of Negative Man, Robotman and Elastigirl - World's Finest #2 cover

I knew I was going to love this issue when I first saw the unlettered artwork of Dan Mora’s Supergirl on Twitter. First, it’s my favorite Supergirl costume of all time (I’ll forgive Dan for not including the headband). Second, she looks absolutely perfect. And that extends to her personality as written by Mark Waid in the book. While she and Robin get minimal page time, it’s their interactions that really make the book soar. I would give fistfuls of money to see the terrible first date that the two of them went on. Also, this heavily implies that the reason that Robin switched to pants is that Supergirl mocked him ruthlessly for wearing his short shorts to a date.

Grade: A+

Batman Beyond: Neo Year #1
Aditya Bidikar (letters), Sebastian Cheng (colors), Max Dunbar (art), Colin Kelly (writer), Jackson Lanzing (writer)Batman Beyond standing on a roof with a triangle of blue light behind him

While Max Dunbar and Sebastian Cheng really work in synergy to make the book the cyberpunkian dystopia it’s supposed to be, it’s Kelly and Lanzing who are the breath of fresh air to this franchise. Batman Beyond has been languishing for quite a while, with writers who just don’t understand the appeal of the cyberpunk Gotham that serves as the setting. For the last while, Batman Beyond has been written by Dan Jurgens, who was a hot young writer when I was just starting reading 30 years ago. He is still a talented writer, but maybe not the person to write a young cyberpunk hero. Lanzing and Kelly capture Terry’s spirit more than any book has since the show first aired. Couple that with Dunbar’s dynamic action scenes and Cheng’s vibrant neons, and you have a fantastic cyberpunk Batman book.

Grade: A

Batman: Beyond the White Knight #1-2
Andworld Design (letters), Sean Murphy (writer and art), Dave Stewart (colors)

Batman Beyond flanked by Dick Grayson and Red Hood with a looming Batman in the Background

On the opposite end of the Batman Beyond spectrum is this absolute mess of a series. First of all, it completely ignores the cyberpunk trappings that Beyond has always been about. It’s just slightly in the future of Murphy’s fascist police state version of Gotham. Oh sure there are times where Murphy thinks he’s being cyberpunk with giant kanji on buildings and muddy, messy backgrounds, but there’s no pop of bright and flashy colors, everything is boring and red. Second, this is just another Murphy Bruce Wayne story. Terry is an afterthought in a series that’s capitalizing on the Batman Beyond brand. Sadly, this universe won’t just die.

Grade: F

Grades

A+

Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #2

A

Action Comics #1042
Aquamen #3
Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #1
Catwoman #42
Earth-Prime Superman & Lois #2
Nightwing #91
Sensational Wonder Woman Special #1
The Joker #14
The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country #1
War for Earth-3 #1
Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons Book Two

B

Aquaman/Green Arrow: Deep Target #7
Aquamen #2
Batgirls #5
Batman ’89 #5
Batman: The Knight #4
Batman: Urban Legends #14
Catwoman: Lonely City #3
Dark Knights of Steel #6
DC vs. Vampires #6
Deathstroke Inc #8
Detective Comics #1059
Earth-Prime Batwoman #1
Harley Quinn #14
I Am Batman #8
Justice League #75
Monkey Prince #3
Refrigerator Full of Heads #6
Robin #13
Rogues #2
Suicide Squad #14
Suicide Squad: Blaze #2
Superman: Son of Kal-El #10
The Flash #781
The Nice House on the Lake #8
The Swamp Thing #11-12
Trial of the Amazons : Wonder Girl #2
Trial of the Amazons #2
Wonder Woman #786
Wonder Woman: Evolution #6
World of Krypton #5

C

Batman #122
Batman: Killing Time #2
Batman/Catwoman #11
Blue & Gold #8
Flashpoint Beyond #0
Future State: Gotham #12
Naomi: Season Two #2
One-Star Squadron #5
Robins #6
Shadow War: Alpha #1

D

Batman: Beyond the White Knight #2
Flashpoint Batman: Knight of Vengeance #1
Green Lantern #12
Teen Titans Academy #14

F

Batman: Beyond the White Knight #1

Solicitation Situation

Artemis: Wanted #1

  • Written by VITA AYALAArt by SKYLAR PATRIDGE
  • Cover by MATTEO SCALERA
  • Variant cover by KAMOME SHIRAHAMA
  • 1:25 variant cover by BECKY CLOONAN
  • $5.99 US | 48 pages | One-shot | Variant $6.99 US (card stock)
  • ON SALE 7/19/22

After the events of Trial of the Amazons, Artemis is on the run from her sisters for her sins. She may say it was all in the name of peace, but not even Wonder Woman believes a word she says. Now the former member of the Bana-Mighdall is wanted by not only her people, but all Amazon tribes!

Is there a future for a warrior who has destroyed her past? Find out as Artemis travels the world searching for answers and a new path forward. She’ll need all the help she can get, and it may come from the unlikeliest of sources…the Gods!

A hooded Artemis holding a glowing axe hiding in the shadows

Skylar Patridge and Vita Ayala did incredible work with Artemis in their Wonder Woman backups, and I’m sure that will continue here. And the way that Patridge draws Artemis’s arms? PHEW.

Superman: Space Age #1

  • Written by MARK RUSSELL
  • Art and cover by MIKE ALLRED
  • Variant cover by STEVE RUDE
  • 1:25 variant cover by NICK DERINGTON
  • 1:50 variant cover by MIKE ALLRED
  • $9.99 US | 80 pages | 1 of 3 | Prestige
  • ON SALE 7/26/22

Meet Clark Kent, a young reporter who just learned that the world will soon come to an end (Crisis on Infinite Earths) and there is nothing he can do to save it. Sounds like a job for his alter ego…Superman!

After years of standing idle, the young man from Krypton defies the wishes of his fathers to come out to the world as the first superhero of the Space Age. As each decade passes and each new danger emerges, he wonders if this is the one that will kill him and everyone he loves. Superman realizes that even good intentions are not without their backlash as the world around him transforms into a place as determined to destroy itself as he is to save it.

Uniting the critically acclaimed writer Mark Russell (One-Star Squadron and The Flintstones) and Eisner-winner Mike Allred (Silver Surfer and Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns & Moonage Daydreams) for the first time, this series promises fans an unforgettable journey through U.S. history and culture starring our beloved characters.

Superman in space holding earth in his palm

Mark Russell and Mike Allred teaming up on a Silver-Ageesque Superman project is a dream come true.

Next month begins two months of Pride coverage here at the DC Pubwatch! Please join us then!

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Cori McCreery

Cori McCreery

Cori is a life long comic nerd residing in Northern California. A life long Supergirl and DC Comics fan, she is the DC Comics Beat Reporter for Women Write About Comics.

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