DC COMICS HIGHLIGHTS IN MARCH 2005

[MattBrady]

While our friends over at Comic Book Resources will be running the full list of DC’s solicitations for comics shipping in March, we’ve combed through the list to give you the highlights of what’s coming up from the publisher, and what looks to be generating the most buzz in the coming weeks.

First off, obviously, DC Countdown #1. While we’ve had pages and pages of speculation on what the cover image may mean, who the body is, and why Wonder Woman’s hair is going sideways, let’s just skip to the solicit to feed the guessing monster some more…

DC COUNTDOWN #1
Written by Geoff Johns,
Greg Rucka and Judd Winick
Art by Rags Morales, Ed Benes, Phil Jimenez, Ivan Reis, Jesus Saiz, and various
Cover by Jim Lee & Alex Ross

Three of the most acclaimed and popular writers in comics — Geoff Johns (TEEN TITANS, JSA), Greg Rucka (ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, WONDER WOMAN) and Judd Winick (BATMAN, OUTSIDERS) — join an all-star roster of artists for DC COUNTDOWN, an 80-page Spectacular with the incredibly low cover price of $1.00!

Artists Rags Morales (IDENTITY CRISIS), Ed Benes (BIRDS OF PREY), Ivan Reis (ACTION COMICS), Phil Jimenez (WONDER WOMAN, New X-Men), and Jesus Saiz (MANHUNTER) each pencil chapters of a story that follows a member of the JLA through a mystery that touches on nearly every character in the DCU!

Topped with a cover pencilled by Jim Lee (SUPERMAN, BATMAN) and painted by Alex Ross (KINGDOM COME, JLA: LIBERTY AND JUSTICE), DC COUNTDOWN is an essential project that features nearly every major character operating in the DC Universe. It’s a project that will resonate for months to come and is a perfect jumping-on point for readers who’ve been wondering where the people who helped deliver IDENTITY CRISIS could possibly be going next. You won’t want to miss it! And the clock is ticking…

On sale March 30 • 80 pg, FC, $1.00 US Edited by Dan DiDio

Okay – while that lingers on the palate, let’s look into the DCU proper…

Batman #638 is the final part of "Under the Hood," with the apparent revelation of the new Red Hood. And that cover...

From the solicit:

Written by Judd Winick
Art by Doug Mahnke & Tom Nguyen
Cover by Matt Wagner

In the stunning conclusion of “Under the Hood,” the Red Hood is revealed! With the murderous Black Mask controlling the Gotham City underworld, what role will this villainous addition to Batman’s Rogues Gallery have when all is said and done?

Would be cool if someone zoomed in on that reflection, huh?

Yeah...now, no one is saying that image could be say, a former sidekick of the guy in the batsuit, but hey...no one can really say it's not either. And - given that Winick was the last writer to play with the idea of Jason Todd coming back into Batman's life...

But then again, it could all be a trick of the light and helmet, and it could be Ricky Martin, which would explain his absence of late.

Catwoman #41 gets the first issue of a two-part fill-in by writer Matteo (Batman: Europa) Casali, with art by Brad Walker and Jimmy Palmiotti. Storyline, according to the writeup: “Catwoman realizes a string of murdered prostitutes in the East End are illegal immigrants from Brazil. But will she become a target?”

Batman also gets some deluxe hardcovers in March. Two of note:

BATMAN COVER TO COVER HC

Written by Neal Adams, Neil Gaiman, Geoff Johns, Chip Kidd, Jim Lee, Paul Levitz, Jeph Loeb, Brad Meltzer, Christopher Nolan, Alex Ross, Mark Waid, Adam West, Mark Hamill and others

Art by Neal Adams, Brian Bolland, John Cassaday, Darwyn Cooke, Alan Davis, Dick Giordano, Michael Golden, Carmine Infantino, Dave Johnson, J.G. Jones, Michael Wm. Kaluta, Bob Kane, Gil Kane, Joe Kubert, Jim Lee, David Mazzucchelli, Scott McDaniel, Ed McGuinness, Mike Mignola, Frank Miller, Jerry Robinson, Alex Ross, Tim Sale, Walter Simonson and others

Cover by various

Get ready for BATMAN COVER TO COVER — a 240-page hardcover, oversized, coffee-table extravaganza spotlighting over 250 of the best BATMAN covers of all time! Organized by theme, readers can see the Batman Family, Fearsome Foes, Death Traps, Bizarre Settings and much, much more in this lavish collection culled from eight decades of the Dark Knight’s exploits!

Commentary on personal favorites is provided by Batman Begins director Christopher Nolan, TV's first Batman Adam West, the voice of the Joker Mark Hamill, as well as comic book creators Neil Gaiman, Alex Ross, Brad Meltzer, Mark Waid, Jeph Loeb, Brian Bolland, Paul Levitz, Sheldon Moldoff, Jim Lee, Jim Aparo, Neal Adams, Jerry Robinson and many more!

Advance-solicited; on sale May 4 • 8.5" x 11.125" • 240 pg, FC, $39.99 US

BATMAN: YEAR ONE
DELUXE EDITION HC — New Edition
Written by Frank Miller
Art and cover by David Mazzuchelli

One of the most important and critically acclaimed Batman adventures ever — written by Frank Miller (BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS) with art by David Mazzuchelli (Daredevil) — returns as a deluxe hardcover designed by Chip Kidd. In addition to telling the entire dramatic story of Batman's first year fighting crime, this collection includes new introductions by Miller and Mazzucchelli, loads of reproductions of original pencils, promotional art, unseen Mazzucchelli Batman art, Richmond Lewis's color samples, script pages and other surprises. This will be the must-have hardcover of the season!

Advance-solicited; on sale April 6 • 144 pg, FC, $19.99 US

Superman also gets some hardcover love, as DC follows the same formula they did with “Hush,” that is, collecting the fair half of “For Tomorrow” in a hardcover.

SUPERMAN: FOR TOMORROW VOL. 1 HC
Written by Brian Azzarello
Art and cover by Jim Lee & Scott Williams

From the critically acclaimed team of writer Brian Azzarello (100 BULLETS) and artists Jim Lee & Scott Williams (BATMAN: HUSH) comes this must-have hardcover volume collecting the first half of “For Tomorrow” originally presented in SUPERMAN #204-209! This volume also includes an intro by Azzarello and a new cover by Lee!

A cataclysmic event has struck the Earth. Millions of people have vanished without a trace. No one is left unaffected — not even Superman! But after a year, Superman is left with many questions. For a hero who tries to have all the answers, it’s torture. And, just as the action heats up and the stakes are raised, one huge question emerges: Just how far is Superman willing to go "For Tomorrow"? Retailers please note: This is a resolicitation; all previous orders are cancelled.
Resolicited; on sale March 30 • 160 pg, FC, $24.99 US

The “true origin” of Gog is promised for the extra-sized Action Comics #825, while Mxyzptlk returns in Adventures of Superman #638, and, after hearing a wish made by Lois, gifts the couple with their own bundle of joy.

Following the “Absolute Power” arc with art by Carlos Pacheco, Superman/Batman gets a standalone story with issue #19, with Ian Churchill and Norm Rapmund illustrating a story by Jeph Loeb starring the new Supergirl.

From the solicit: “Now that Kara Zor-El has accepted her role as Supergirl, what will she do with it? And just how powerful is she? How will her life impact Batman and Superman? This issue is the starting point of an incredible journey that will lead to bigger things for Supergirl — hang on tight!”

The long-ago announced five issue Lex Luthor: Man of Steel finally sees the light of day in March, written by Brian Azzarello, with art by Lee Bermejo. The solict reads:

“Superman has been called many things, from the defender of Truth, Justice and the American way to the Big Blue Boy Scout. In the new 5-issue miniseries LEX LUTHOR: MAN OF STEEL, he’ll be called something he never has before: a dangerous threat to all humanity!

Fresh off his dynamic run on SUPERMAN, Brian Azzarello teams up with Lee Bermejo (BATMAN/DEATHBLOW) for a bold story in which readers get a glimpse into the mind of Lex Luthor. Long considered one of DC’s most vile villains, MAN OF STEEL reveals why Luthor chooses to be the proverbial thorn in Superman’s side — simply put, to save humanity from an untrusted alien being. Or, as Azzarello himself puts it, “In this story, Superman is the villain.”

Also seeing the light in March is John Byrne and Will Pfeifer’s Blood of the Demon, a new ongoing series starring Etrigan the Demon.

The solicit reads: You may have thought Jason Blood was a man possessed by Etrigan the Demon, but BLOOD OF THE DEMON — the new ongoing monthly series written by John Byrne & Will Pfeifer (AQUAMAN, H-E-R-O) with art by Byrne & Bud LaRosa — reveals a whole lot more about their “blood bond” than anyone ever realized!

Etrigan is on a rampage in Gotham City, where a nameless villain needs him to open a portal to another dimension…and will torture Jason Blood endlessly to make Etrigan his slave!

All the rules have changed! Expect pandemonium and mayhem as Etrigan, loyal to no one, takes on otherworldly foes in the first battle of an all-out war!

As Newsarama previously reported, Peter David and George Perez’s Sachs and Violens return in the pages of Fallen Angel #19 for part one of a two part story. The solicit reads: The Angel’s back, and she’s got company in an issue featuring a spectacular cover by fan-favorite George Pérez! The duo of Sachs and Violens — from the miniseries by David & Pérez — have hit Bête Noire, and they have the Fallen Angel in their sights!

“Rogue War” begins in Flash #220 as the new Captain Boomerang makes his debut and establishes himself among the Rogues as James Jesse and his team of “good” Rogues prepare to capture Captain Cold and bring him to justice. And…Zoom is back.

Oh, like we’d do this without a mildly gratuitous pic of the final issue of Green Lantern: Rebirth?

From the solicit: The return of Hal Jordan concludes here! The heroes of the DCU are split, and it may mean doom for some…unless Hal Jordan can accomplish what many believe impossible and lead them to victory! It all leads into a new GREEN LANTERN ongoing series, coming this summer from REBIRTH writer Geoff Johns and all-star artist Carlos Pacheco (SUPERMAN/BATMAN)!

And for those longing for the return of Ronnie Raymond in Firestorm, how ‘bout that cover for issue #11, along with the solicitation copy?

Written by Dan Jolley
Art by Dale Eaglesham & Wade von Grawbadger
Cover by Matt Haley

With the threat of Killer Frost eliminated, Ronnie Raymond — the original Firestorm — joins current Firestorm Jason Rusch just in time for an attack by Multiplex and Typhoon!

Writer Ben Raab returns to the DCU with a new seven issue miniseries: The Human Race

Written by Ben Raab
Art and cover by Justiniano & Walden Wong
Cover by Justiniano

A new 7-issue miniseries written by Ben Raab (GREEN LANTERN, GREEN ARROW) with mind-blowing art by Justiniano (BEAST BOY, Chastity) & Walden Wong (JLA)! The super-powered fraternity of Delta Chi Delta is charged with a mission: to protect the genetic code of the human race from any outside interference. But when a young man’s entire hometown is invaded by an alien force, the threat of a global mutation compels him to join the group — especially when he manifests strange powers of his own!

Oh yeah, and Grant Morrison’s Seven Soldiers gets rolling with the debut of two miniseries:

SEVEN SOLDIERS: GUARDIAN #1
Written by Grant Morrison
Art and cover by Cameron Stewart

Grant Morrison joins forces with collaborator Cameron Stewart (CATWOMAN) for a 4-issue miniseries that weaves a tale of Guardian, a hero who’s the living masthead of the Manhattan Guardian newspaper — the only newspaper that lives up to its credo: “We don’t just report crime…we fight crime!”

After the accidental shooting of a child that resulted in his handing over his badge, ex-cop Jim Harper tries to get his life in gear by applying for the job of The Guardian after spending more than a year dealing with personal demons. But Jim quickly learns to be careful what he wishes for, as the new Guardian finds himself in a pitched battle with Subway Pirates! Will he survive the ride of his life through the unknown subterranean world of New York?

SEVEN SOLDIERS: SHINING KNIGHT #1
Written by Grant Morrison
Art and cover by Simone Bianchi

Get ready for a miniseries best described as The Lord of the Rings meets The O.C.! Visionary writer Grant Morrison and artist Simone Bianchi (Marvel Italia’s Conan the Barbarian, The Ego Sum Trilogy) continue the 30-part SEVEN SOLDIERS saga with the 4-issue SEVEN SOLDIERS: SHINING KNIGHT, a modern fantasy epic!

Though twilight and red ruin falls on Camelot, the Knights of the Broken Table stand ready to battle the forces of the Beyond. Little do they realize that the only one within their spent and bloodied ranks who can save what remains of their world is 16-year-old Sir Justin, a teenaged warrior who, with his winged horse Victory, finds himself thrust into the maddening world of the 21st century to save the future of all mankind! And the best place to start the battle? Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, of course!

Over in CMX, three debuts:

THE DEVIL DOES EXIST Vol. 1
Written by Takanashi Mitsuba
Art by Takanashi Mitsuba

CMX. High school is hard for Kayano. When she tries to confess her love to the kind but distant Yuichi, the school bully Takeru makes her life hell. But things get worse when Kayano’s mother gets engaged to Takeru’s father, the school principal! How will she cope with having the devil himself living in her own home?

MONSTER COLLECTION VOL. 1
Art by Itoh Sei
Original concept by Yasuda Hitoshi/Group SNE

CMX. Kasche may have a talent for controlling beasts, but she's got a lot to learn about self-control before she can become a full-fledged summoner. When disaster strikes, her principal chooses her to avert it. Joined by an unusual crew of allies both human and not, Kasche must recapture the relic from an evil summoner before he can use it to unlock the ancient Encyclopedia Verum and call up the most powerful monsters ever seen!

SWORD OF THE DARK ONES VOL. 1
Art by Kotobuki Tsukasa
Written by Yasui Kentaro

CMX. In the late-medieval land of Barnard, between the mountains and sea, the peaceful lifestyle of the people has been shattered by fear. Monsters known as the Dark Ones roam the land, killing indiscriminately. The townsfolk fear to venture out from their homes, and travel from town to town has become a risk to life and limb. To protect the people from this terror, several guilds have sprung up, including the Guild of Assassins and the Guild of Mercenaries. To go out into the world, or travel across the wilderness, hired mercenaries are essential.

One man has built a reputation as an especially fierce monster-killer — a man known as Leroy Schvartzer. A former high-ranking member of the Guild of Mercenaries, Leroy has struck out on his own. Many try to hire him for his superior skills, but Leroy has his own agenda. He has a mission to accomplish, a vow to fulfill. This vow is known only to himself, and his one companion: his sentient long-sword Ragnarok.

In the Wildstorm area of DC, following the conclusion of John Ridley’s Warblade story in The Razor’s Edge, Jason Pearson and Ed Brubaker pick up the title for a Redbird story, with art by Peason. The solicit reads:

The Razor’s edge cuts into redbird! Jason Pearson (ROBIN covers, Body Bags) & Ed Brubaker (GOTHAM CENTRAL, CATWOMAN) weave a 5-part tale about former Black Ops member Nataly Lakota, a.k.a. Redbird!

Following an escape from a government hospital, Nataly disappeared into America, turning up as a mild-mannered apartment manager in Inglewood, California. She's trying to piece her life back together amids drug dealers and gang wars while confronting the issues that had her confined to a government hospital in the first place — namely, a mission gone awry in Guatemala that saw her entire command slaughtered. But she's got enough problems just trying to keep the complex in one piece and the honest residents safe. As if that weren’t enough, the government has also dispatched a killer to bring Redbird back — alive or dead — since they're not too keen on one of their top agents simply “walking away!”

And finally, the Phil Jiminez’s previously announced Otherworld series begins at Vertigo in March. The solicit reads:

Writer/artist extraordinaire Phil Jimenez (WONDER WOMAN, New X-Men, THE INVISIBLES) brings his singular vision to VERTIGO this month with OTHERWORLD, an epic maxiseries that combines the dramatic setup and ensemble cast of Lost and Survivor with the fantasy of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and mind-bending technology of The Matrix.

Picture a world at war with itself. An idyllic, pastoral land populated by mythological beings that battle endlessly with a nation-state made of pure technology. Into this maelstrom is thrust a group of young people — some friends, some strangers — plucked violently from Earth and imbued with superpowers. One in particular, Siobhan Moynihan — an aspiring singer and college student — is told she’s the savior who will either end the war and save the Otherworld…or destroy it forever.

Joined by inker Andy Lanning (WONDER WOMAN), the extra-sized first issue of OTHERWORLD takes readers on an exciting adventure filled with widescreen action that’s sexy, smart and unlike anything VERTIGO has done before!

[GenXMaverick]

Phil Jimenez's Otherworld looks much better than I anticipated. The cover is breathtaking.

Dan Jolley's Firestorm just gets better and better. This is easily one of DC's most underrated books. Go, Dan, go!

And provided Jean Loring isn't the killer then Countdown might actually turn out to be damn good, too.

[JeffCapo]

Hmmm Kyle's on the cover, but no Alan Scott???

[fredeur]

At last, Pearson&Brubaker's Redbird is coming!

[Astrovik]

hey, who is that face in the red hood reflection, looks like ... Jason Todd!
Good to see kyle (hopefully surviving)
Definitely gonna get contdown, and the most exciting solicitation, Superman gets a baby! but boy, what a terrible cover
Demon looks cool, never bought much Byrne, but i like his art a lot

[El Argentino]

Looks like DC gonna kick serius ass next year.
That Meglia cover is AWESOME!!

And can´t wait for Redbird!

Oh, wait...second thoughth...Marvel will fart 25 new Bendis and mutants titles and will be number one again

Anyway DC always (IMHO) is first in quality.

Go, DC!

[<sage>]

Aside from the Jason Todd thing, it looks like DC is really uping the ante, and sure as hell is getting me excited.

Happy to see Churchill draw Batman, haven't seen his take on him before. And Brad Walker on Catwoman! I really wanted this guy to do some work on it after I saw his stuff in War Games.

Wonder what is going on with Birds of Prey, some big ass conclusion can't wait for that.

Still very little more on Countdown, dissapointed about that, but then again, what more could we expect, we were never going to be told that much

And next month we'll see if Nightwing is still around!

[Keven@TheRide]

Any book by Pearson is worth the money! Whoo Hoo!

[sidewinder]

Originally posted by El Argentino



Oh, wait...second thoughth...Marvel will fart 25 new Bendis and mutants titles and will be number one again
!

I love the unprovoked Marvel bashing.

Classy.

[Blind Assassin]

Anyone notice that Wonder Woman isn't wearing her blindfold on the cover of the Previews....?

Guess that plot point w/ her being blinded isn't going to last two long. Two bad.

[Cray_ws]

Definitely looking forward to Redbird, the Seven Soldiers line, and the Otherwold looks interesting.

[Cray_ws]

Originally posted by Blind Assassin
Anyone notice that Wonder Woman isn't wearing her blindfold on the cover of the Previews....?

Guess that plot point w/ her being blinded isn't going to last two long. Two bad.

Of course not haven't you heard of status quo?

[Ras Al Ghul]

DC is definitely owning 2005 already, and the year hasn't even started yet!

[Blind Assassin]

Originally posted by Cray_ws
Of course not haven't you heard of status quo?

yeah, but everyone talks about how DC is so much better at stuff like that, while Marvel just throws it all away.....

so I became confused....

do both companies do it...?

[KACH]

Originally posted by sidewinder
I love the unprovoked Marvel bashing.

Classy.

Umm, this is Newsarama, dude. Get with the program, already.

--J.

[BillReed]

So this month in DC, I'll be getting Gotham Central, JLA: Classified, Human Target, Vimanarama!, The Manhattan Guardian, and Shining Knight. And maybe Countdown, 'cause it's a buck, tho I don't really care for the writers, except Rucka. Ahh well.

Pretty good month.

[DrTzinTzin]

Countdown, Batman: Cover to Cover, the Batman Chronicles...and more. Looks like I either need to get more money or stop eating.

[Vyper]

Originally posted by Blind Assassin
Anyone notice that Wonder Woman isn't wearing her blindfold on the cover of the Previews....?

Guess that plot point w/ her being blinded isn't going to last two long. Two bad.

Just because the blindofld is gone doesn't mean she can see.
....
Ah, who am I kidding, you're probably right.

[Switch]

Originally posted by DrTzinTzin
Countdown, Batman: Cover to Cover, the Batman Chronicles...and more. Looks like I either need to get more money or stop eating.

I'm sure if you had a bowl of milk the comics would make a passable meal. Whether or not it actually passes is another thing.

[LifeonMars?]

boy, some really cool stuff coming out this month. i'm looking forward to the batman archives reprint series. i must say tho, as big of a fan as i've been of DC lately if they A) kill dick grayson or B) bring back Jason todd i think i'm done with DC.

[Jer-el]

DC in 2005! I'm pumped.

[FIG]

I can't wait to see Lee Bermejos Superman story and Jason Pearsons Redbird.

[COREMARK]

Lots of very cool new things coming from DC, Seven Soldiers, Otherworld, Lex Luthor: Man of Steel, DC Countdown. Speaking of DC Countdown Comic Book Resources have posted an interview with Winick where he talks about the book, check it out here: Judd Winick: DC Countdown Interview @ CBR

[JustAnothaSucka]

Originally posted by JeffCapo
Hmmm Kyle's on the cover, but no Alan Scott???

it's just a corp. pic and a. scott will stay with jsa, i'm betting.

[HIPHOPJUNKIE]

...thank God!

So a possible return of Jason Todd? Okay, I buy it.

But there is one ominous presence that has me geeking the f**k out...ZOOM!