Bat Books: Previewing All The Batman-Family Comics Out This Week
by Olly MacNamee
Looking at the six new Batman-family of comic books coming out this September 26th from DC Comics, it’s interesting to see how this corner of the DCU has expanded in so many different ways. Six new books, and yet Batman only features as the feature character in just three titles. I often joke about DC’s output being so heavily reliant on Batman, yet there is a good variety in those Bat books. As you can see from the previews below:
Harley Quinn #32
Writer: Tini Howard
Artist: Sweeney Boo
Letters: Steve Wands
KNIGHT TERRORS FOLLOWS HARLEY INTO THE WAKING WORLD!
Ahoy! I’ve returned from Knight Terrors fresh-faced and well rested—Oh jeez! Looks like my new friend/interdimensional monarch who’s totally still threatening to murder my world at the drop of a hat Lady Quark is back, and she’s bearing gifts pulled straight from the deep recesses of Knight Terrors! But I got a class to teach and finals to prepare them for! Looks like we’re taking this show…on the road! Ahhh, thee children o’ da night, what terrible music they make. Sam Maggs and Kelley Jones tell the true story of the time I got proposed to by a nasty old perv in a castle. Don’t worry, me and Ives are gonna give ‘im what for!
In the darkness beyond, a looming threat waits. Behold: the Court of Owls! But who do they seek and why? After escaping the wrath of Killer Croc, Batman comes face-to-beak with the most terrifying Court to ever exist. But in order to get the answers he seeks, he must be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. Can Batman act against his mission to protect? All this, and the truth behind the magic is revealed.
Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic #3
Writers: Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly
Artist: Max Dunbar
Colors: Sebastian Cheng
Letters: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
In the darkness beyond, a looming threat waits. Behold: the Court of Owls! But who do they seek and why? After escaping the wrath of Killer Croc, Batman comes face-to-beak with the most terrifying Court to ever exist. But in order to get the answers he seeks, he must be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. Can Batman act against his mission to protect? All this, and the truth behind the magic is revealed.
Detective Comics #1074
Writer: Ram V
Artist: Dustin Nguyen
Colors: John Kalisz
Letters: Ariana Maher
DETECTIVE VS. DEMON!
An Azmer demon is tethered to Batman! Now it’s up to Bruce’s inner demons to save him from this very real one…but what about the Barbatos entity that’s been lurking beside them? Is it the real Barbatos or simply a figment of Batman’s internal struggles, and more importantly…whose side is it on?
Batman: The Brave and the Bold #5
Writers and Artists: Various
THE SHOCKING FINALE TO THE FIRST ENCOUNTER BETWEEN BATMAN AND THE JOKER, AS TOLD BY TOM KING AND MITCH GERADS!
The shocking finale to the horrific, groundbreaking first encounter between Batman and The Joker will leave you gasping for breath. The origin of the greatest duel in the history of comics is finally told! Stormwatch is on the trail of an old god who’s been slumming his way across Europe, leaving a mess of jilted lovers and bloody bodies in his wake. The god is protecting a powerful weapon that the team needs to defeat one of their greatest adversaries—a weapon he’s sworn to protect with his life! Emilia Harcourt is back from the dead thanks to…Amanda Waller?! A shocking tale that will have huge ramifications for the Dawn of DC by Rob Williams and Stefano Landini! Ed Brisson and Jorge Fornés bring an epic story to the pages of Batman Black & White!
Batman / Catwoman: The Gotham War – Red Hood #1
Writer: Matthew Rosenberg
Artist: Nikola Čižmešija
The Gotham War has fractured the Bat-Family in dramatic ways—none more intensely than with Jason Todd. This stunning event will forever alter the destiny of the man who wears the Red Hood!
The Penguin #2
Writer: Tom King
Artist: Rafael De Latorre
Colors: Marcelo Maiolo
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Oswald Cobblepot is preparing to take back the Gotham underworld at the behest of the U.S. government, but to wage this war, he’s going to need some ruthless soldiers. For starters…the Help, the merciless assassin Penguin first encountered in the epic Batman: Killing Time. But can the Penguin free the Help from a prison of his own making? Whoever wins, everyone dies. The tough-as-nails series continues!
