Saturday, May 30, 2015

August 2015 Solicits

The concept of DCYou rather than a DCU has hit the public with DC trying to show that it offers more than just the hard core, glum super-hero books that have dominated its solicits over the last 3 years. DCYou means you get to decide the sort of books you want to read. There will be different styles and tones.

The August solicits for DCYou came out this week and are available many places including Newsarama here:http://www.newsarama.com/24576-dc-comics-full-august-2015-solicitations.html

Now this soft reboot of the comic line is hard to gauge right now. We haven't experienced it yet! Some new books look interesting enough to grab immediately: Bizarro, Starfire, Black Canary, and Green Arrow with its new team all seem like books for me.

Of note, no Supergirl book here. And no Supergirl in JLU.

Here are the super-ish books of the month.



DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS #1
Written by MARGUERITE BENNETT
Art by MARGUERITE SAUVAGE
Cover by ANT LUCIA
1:25 Variant cover by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO

The ultra-popular statues from DC Collectibles come to life in their own ongoing comic book series! Learn the story behind this alternate reality where the Second World War is fought by superpowered women on the front lines and behind the scenes! It all begins with the stories of Batwoman, Wonder Woman and Supergirl.

I covered this announcement last week. I love some of these designs. I love the idea of heroes active in WWII. And that creative team is perfect. I cringe just a bit at that Supergirl outfit but at least she is active here.


ACTION COMICS #43
Written by GREG PAK and AARON KUDER
Art and cover by AARON KUDER

"Truth" continues as Superman defies the Metropolis police and faces a new threat from the shadows!

Remember when Superman was an inspiration for others, a symbol of hope and good? Remember when he wanted truth and justice? Fought a never-ending battle?

Now he is defying cops.

Will 'Truth' be worth it?


SUPERMAN #43
Written by GENE LUEN YANG
Art and cover by JOHN ROMITA, Jr. and KLAUS JANSON
Bombshells Variant cover by DES TAYLOR

Before “Truth”: Superman’s very existence is threatened, and Lois Lane must make the toughest choice of her life!

I guess that 'Before "Truth"' makes this a prequel issue or flashback issue. Will this be the in depth look at Lois' decision to reveal Clark's identity? And will it make it sense for her, and him, and the continuity?

The treatment of Lois in the New 52 has been shabby and uneven. I don't know that this decision will make things better.


BATMAN/SUPERMAN #23
Written by GREG PAK
Art and cover by ARDIAN SYAF and VICENTE CIFUENTES
Bombshells Variant cover by DES TAYLOR

“Truth” continues as Superman must learn to depend on the new Batman’s help—but can he trust him?

I am trying to suppress my eye roll when I read something about Superman and Batman not trusting each other. Is this even a story now? Or the new norm?

It is a shame because Pak was actually making the Bruce Batman and Clark Superman act like friends in this book prior to the shift.

Ah well, guess we'll have to see how this plays out as well.



SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #20
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art by DOUG MAHNKE and JAIME MENDOZA
Cover by PAULO SIQUEIRA
Bombshells Variant cover by TERRY DODSON
"Truth" continues -- and as Superman and Wonder Woman deal with the ramifications of his secret identity being blown, they dig deeper into the disappearance of Lana Lang and Steel, which force them to team up with an unexpected and dangerous nemesis.


I fear that I am going to be sucked back into buying this book because of 'Truth' as well as Lana being part of the storyline. I was a big fan of Lana when first reintroduced in the Pak/Kuder book. I soured a bit during the Smallville horror story but she turned things around. 

I hope Tomasi does her right.



JUSTICE LEAGUE 3001 #3
Written by KEITH GIFFEN and J.M. DeMATTEIS
Art and cover by HOWARD PORTER
1:25 Variant cover by HOWARD PORTER

It’s the Super-Buddies versus Giant Turtle Olsen starring in...Who the hell cares what it’s called? It’s Giant Turtle Olsen! You are so welcome. Oh, and the Justice League will show up too. I mean, it being their book and all…And hey, did we mention Giant Turtle Olsen?

Supergirl has been conspicuously absent in the DC books. Last month, a rather Silver Age Supergirl was featured on the cover of JL 3001. I reluctantly added the book to my pull list.

Now this month, no mention and no sight of Supergirl in the book's solicit. Over on Twitter though, artist Howard Porter confirmed she is in the book.

Which Supergirl is in the book? Is this a riff on Silver Age Superman given the Giant Turtle Olsen? So is it the Silver Age Kara? Is this another attempt at a Giffen 'funny' title?

This month hasn't exactly made me want to run to the store. I don't know if I am optimistic about any of these books. Even Bombshells is an unknown commodity.



DC COMICS SUPER-PETS! DEX-STARR AND STREAKY PLUSH FIGURES
How do you like your Super-Pets: sweet – or vicious? You can take your pick with these new, fun plush figures of Red Lantern Atrocitus’s furball Dex-Starr and Supergirl’s faithful pet Streaky the Super-Cat! Better yet, why not get both?
1. DEX-STARR – 9"
2. STREAKY – 9"

At least I got this!

I don't know if I can justify buying this for myself or any of my Supergirls as they are a little too old for stuffed animals. Maybe ...

But still .. Streaky!!

8 comments:

PRgirl1294 said...

In the "Batman/Superman" issues in this arc, the Batman that's going to be featured here isn't going to be Bruce Wayne. It's going to be Jim Gordon. Bruce is supposedly going to be dead. But I'm sure that that's only going to be temporary, just like a lot of stuff in this arc.

Martin Gray said...

That's the Streaky from Superman Family Adventures, yes - how I miss that book. I'm sticking with my traditional Streaky plush, thought!

Jay said...

I think the high likelihood is that what Superman will be defying is police corruption. Not good, honest police work. Again based on the strong early Golden Age flavor they're tapping into. If so, that's totally Superman.

Saranga said...

I want me a Streaky!

Anonymous said...

"Remember when Superman was an inspiration for others, a symbol of hope and good? Remember when he wanted truth and justice? Fought a never-ending battle?"

Yep I do indeed. Makes it all the more sad that this is what the Superman Family comics have become. An absurd and unstable deconstruction of Superman, another crossover event which will last a year apparently and no more Superboy or Supergirl series. I'm pretty annoyed about that and I'm not nearly as big a Supergirl fan as you.

Louis

Jay said...

After reading the latest Action, I think its safe to say that indeed, Superman is taking on corrupt cops. So rest easy guys.

Craig said...

This is also how Streaky appears in the "Super Pet" series of books, of which he is a star of at least one. They're a fun set of books for young readers, but they're fun for all ages. Maybe we'll even get Comet, as he has his a book also! In these series of books, Supergirl is depicted as a teenager, and we also see an in-universe Bizarrogirl. There's an encyclopedia/ who's who of the super pets, and it shows them with their "owners." The biggest surprise, for me, in the encyclopedia is Streaky's descendant Whizzy from Adventure Comics # 287 is actually there also!

It's so sad that Superman isn't allowed to be the inspiration he has always been and was meant to be. I've read comments such as "finally, he's not a goody-goody anymore; I can relate to him" and it makes me upset to put it mildly. First, I don't have to relate to someone to like them - I mean, even with a million problems, Peter Parker is still a muscular cutie with super models as girlfriends and spider powers, I can't relate to him yet people often point out Spidey as someone more relatable and friendly than Superman. I also don't understand why they wouldn't want Superman to be someone to aspire to.

Superman is an archetype, a template for most super heroes out there, so having him suddenly a bare knuckled thug isn't interesting for me. He's above that. He's learned that that kind of thing isn't him. As an Elseworld's type story, ok, I can accept that, but DC/ Warner Bros. seems to have it set out that Superman be seen as a killer rather than a hero. How many dark or evil versions have we had in the past few years! Having him dress like Superboy did isn't too original either. I have read that Superman was originally going to be depicted as such but ultimately that was scrapped. If the original creators didn't want Superman to look like that, then why do these people?

Yay. Batman is "dead" yet again. But this time the new Batman looks like an armored rabbit. Wonder Woman gets to have wrist blades. How very 1990's Image.

I won't be buying any of these books as I don't want DC to have my money for something I don't support on any level and don't want the money contributed to them making more of this stuff. Even if Supergirl was in it, I think I'd probably pass. I loathe how DC treats Lois Lane. :(

Bombshells is so crazy - in that there's so much merch being pumped out, but I guess it must be popular. I don't mind Kara's look, and I think it's definitely more dignified than what she's wearing in the formerly known as New52. Despite seeing cosplay of it, I really just warmed up to it from the Tonner Character Figure, ie. doll that was just recently released. (It's finally high quality compared to what has been coming out from there, and Kara gets her very own head sculpt.) It looks good, even if I still don't like the white of the boots.

I'm excited that I'll be reading a WW II version of Supergirl, and that it seems in that universe the trinity may actually be her, WW, and Batwoman.

That variant cover with Mera, showcasing Military, Air Force, and Navy is indeed gorgeous; I would love a poster of it. Seeing a "War Bonds" Supergirl makes me smile. I wasn't going to buy these books for the covers, but they're such great covers I may have to!

Still not enough flesh bared on the men equal to the women, but I guess Aquaman is close. ;)

Jay said...

I like that he's not a boyscout anymore, but its not because I can relate anymore to it. Frankly, I probably can relate better to more of a boyscout. I like that he's a little rougher around the edges because I think it'll serve the character well to go back to a characterization closer to that of which he was first designed. In todays day and age, that 40's persona I think fits really well, way moreso than the Reeve template. I still LIKE the Reeve template, but there's no shame in admitting that its very dated, and in of itself was an interpretation of a wider mythos, not the source template itself.

Besides, a rougher attitude does not equate to a loss of inspiration, necessarily. I mean look at Action #41, he's a motorcycle wearing vigilante, basically, and he's got children running up to him, playing and swinging on his arms as he laughs. This Superman is still very much loved and inspires. There's just a also a strong section of fearful and hateful people who don't. Which has always been part of the lore anyway.