Review: Deathstroke Vol. 4: Defiance (Rebirth) trade paperback (DC Comics)

The Rebirth Deathstroke Vol. 4: Defiance is still as twisted as Christopher Priest's other volumes leading up to this point, though (perhaps appropriately) a little quieter in the wake of the first three books and the Lazarus Contract crossover. Fewer of the main characters try to kill each other here and the story is in large part more set-up than denouement. Where Priest is going with all of this remains, as always, a mystery, with all sorts of random bits sprinkled in that we know by now will become relevant later. Priest also makes strange and provocative use of DC Universe history here, which can't be a coincidence but whose purpose, again, remains clouded.

Review: Dark Nights: Metal: Dark Knights Rising hardcover (DC Comics)

Where there is crossover, there is tie-ins, of course. Respectably Dark Nights: Metal shows far greater restraint than any number of events (it's minuscule in the face of War of the Gods or Blackest Night), so seven "Nightmare Batmen" specials and a one-off with contributions from Grant Morrison is a small price to pay. Still, to read Dark Nights: Metal: Dark Knights Rising is assuredly to understand that this was a series that needed to have been collected in three volumes in reading order. Having now read Metal proper, Rising's mysteries are muted and its shocks don't have the same effect. There's some fun to be had here, but the stories would have been stronger in their places and their unavoidable formulatic-ness shows through too much.

Review: Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps Vol. 5: Twilight of the Guardians trade paperback (DC Comics)

I have often been positive about Robert Venditti's Green Lantern, but Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps Vol. 5: Twilight of the Guardians is a misstep. Leading in to two big storylines that will culminate with the end of the series and Venditti's run, Twilight marks time, with a couple stories that, while consequential, seem more padded than they need. The lack of this book's regular art team reinforces this placeholder sense.

[Review contains spoilers]

The arc of Geoff Johns' and Robert Venditti's "Green Lantern" runs swung from Hal Jordan as a disgraced Lantern and the Lantern Guardians slowly growing corrupt, to Hal as head among a Lantern-lead organization. But part and parcel of the Green Lantern mythos is the mysterious, erratic leadership of the Guardians, and the upshot of Twilight is to swing things back toward the middle -- to unite the "original" and Templar Guardians of recent runs and to install them again at the head of the Lanterns. This is quite fine, a good development by Venditti, and the classic Guardian tunics are a nice touch.

Review: Justice League of America Vol. 3: Panic in the Microverse (Rebirth) trade paperback (DC Comics)

I read the Rebirth Justice League of America Vol. 3: Panic in the Microverse in the span of an evening in about one sitting. It is, I'd venture, a good airplane book, a six-issue, relatively self-contained story within the series itself, accessible if you're generally caught up with Rebirth goings on. The flip side of that is, after a diet lately of Tom King's blockbuster one- or two-off stories in Batman, that Panic feels a tad bloated. This is a perfectly workable six-issue trade, but for six issues, not overmuch happens -- and especially since this a book directly lead into by the DC Universe: Rebirth special itself. Panic in the Microverse is a fine reading experience, but the swiftness with which I read it suggests not gripping reading necessarily, but rather a story that chugs along and doesn't ask too much of the reader.

Review: Dark Nights: Metal: The Deluxe Edition hardcover (DC Comics)

Dark Nights: Metal is a rollicking good superhero story, demonstrating Scott Snyder and company's abiding love for the DC Universe's characters and history. In certain respects I think its grandiose cheekiness undercuts the story's suspense, but it's hard to argue with the breadth of characters that Snyder gets on the page and the deference he pays to both DC's Big Three characters and the core members of the Justice League. I appreciate the extent to which Metal stands on its own, but for me the most heartening aspects of this book were the ways in which it nods to the contemporaneous present of the DC Universe, and its role as a raucous prelude to Snyder's new Justice League title.

Review: Death of Hawkman trade paperback (DC Comics)

I picked up Death of Hawkman after I read Dark Days: The Road to Metal, expecting that what references to Hawkman there, and their incongruity with what I remembered of Hawkman's New 52 depictions, might be explained. No such luck. Indeed if you're fuzzy on Hawkman's New 52 iteration but have a pretty good sense of the JSA Hawkman pre-Flashpoint, you might very well skip Death of Hawkman, as it won't add anything and will only confuse you more. Given this book's few-to-no overt ties to Metal, I must suspect that what we have here is an entirely separate, previously planned Adam Strange/Hawkman miniseries, shoehorned into its new role by way of a title change and some rewrites (it was originally announced as Adam Strange/Hawkman: Out of Time, a phrase that still appears on the credits pages).

Review: Supergirl: Being Super trade paperback (DC Comics)

There seemed a long stretch of time without comics that were YA friendly, and the current glut of them is wonderful indeed. I appreciate them even as I recognize that for some I'm just not the target audience. I gave Supergirl: Being Super a try, however, because though I have not read anything by Mariko Tamaki before, I have very much liked Joelle Jones' art of late, and in all the concept of a seemingly Superman-less "Elseworlds" Supergirl series seemed interesting -- Kara Danvers nee Zor-El in the proverbial Superboy-of-Smallville role (though apparently Elseworlds stories aren't called "Elseworlds" any more, an exercise perhaps in hedging one's bets in case a particular alt-continuity origin really takes hold).

Review: Titans: Total Chaos trade paperback (DC Comics)

Consider that when the issues collected in Titans: Total Chaos first came out, DC Comics' New Titans title was riding high on the wave of the blockbuster fourteen-issue "Titans Hunt" storyline that had just concluded with "The Jericho Gambit." These were heady times for DC and the buzz was loud in general; when "Total Chaos" launched, the Superman, Batman, and Flash titles were within a couple months of "Death of Superman, "Knightfall," and "Return of Barry Allen" respectively, not to mention that the "Armageddon 2001" and "War of the Gods" crossovers had just concluded (even if these seem bloated by today's standards, in the day they had tongues wagging).

Review: Green Lanterns Vol. 2: The Phantom Lantern (Rebirth) trade paperback (DC Comics)

Sam Humphries' Rebirth Green Lanterns Vol. 2: The Phantom Lantern is a slight improvement on the volume that preceded it. The characters' actions are often nonsensical and Humphries' simplistic approach to Green Lantern Jessica Cruz's anxiety difficulties does neither the character nor awareness of the condition any favors. The main "Phantom Lantern" story is decompressed, one that's good at six issues that could have been great at three or four. That said, there is significant appeal to this earthbound Green Lantern heroes vs. villain story and the Phantom Lantern is indeed a viable new antagonist for the Green Lantern mythos. Hopefully what potential this volume shows will continue to be cultivated.

DC Trade Solicitations for August 2018 - Justice League: No Justice, Batman: Knightfall 25th Anniversary and Wedding Album, Action Comics #1000 Deluxe, Impulse Omnibus, Winick's Titans

I've got to give it to DC Comics' collections department, looking at the August 2018 hardcover and trade paperback solicitations. We've got Batman: Knightfall Vol. 1, Batman: Knightfall Vol. 2, the Prelude to Knightfall, and Knightquest: The Crusade Vol. 1 one a week through the month of September (plus Bane: Conquest), and we've also got the final volumes of Justice League of America, Justice League, and the No Justice collections all in September. That's a whole lot of not having to wait to read related collections all at once, when in the great trade dark ages this kind of thing might have been spread out over an entire year.

Highlights for this month also include the deluxe Action Comics #1000; two "New Age of Heroes" collections, Damage and Silencer; the Impulse omnibus; the first volume of James Robinson's Wonder Woman; and an unexpected collection of Judd Winick's Titans.

Here we go ...

• Action Comics #1000: The Deluxe Edition HC

Solicited one month later, but arriving in September, is the deluxe edition of Action Comics #1000. In addition to the issue itself, this has Paul Levitz and Neal Adams' "The Game" story from Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman

• All-Star Batman Vol. 3: The First Ally TP

Paperback of the (excellent) hardcover, collecting the final issues, #10-14.

• Bane: Conquest TP

Collects the twelve-issue miniseries by Chuck Dixon and Graham Nolan. Will Bane be able to trade his new mouth-hole mask for his better, cooler non-mouth-hole original mask? A nice touch of serendipity that this arrives at the same time as the new Knightfall books, though I haven't heard much buzz about this book's quality.

• Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 7: Batmen Eternal TP

Collects issues #975-981. This is James Tynion's last collection of this book ... sniff ... I think I've got something in my eye ...

• Batman: Knightfall Vol. 1: The 25th Anniversary Edition TP

Happily, the beginning of a reprint of the recent Batman: Knightfall omnibuses in paperback form, this is one half of "Knightfall" proper, Batman #492-497 and Detective Comics #659-663.

Also included (via the omnibus) is Batman Villains Secret Files and Origins #1, which was published about five years after "Knightfall" but included the story "How Bane Infiltrated Wayne Manor" by Chuck Dixon and "Ed Barreto" (I think this is the late Eduardo Barreto of Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography). In the Secret Files, these are presented as "lost" unpublished pages, framed on storyboards, though I think that's just a gimmick. I'm curious, if someone has the omnibus, whether they're presented like that in these volumes or just as normal pages.

• Batman: Knightfall Vol. 2: The 25th Anniversary Edition TP

Collects Detective Comics #664-666, Showcase ’93 #7-8, Batman #498-500 and Batman: Shadow of the Bat #16-18, the second half of "Knightfall."

• Batman: Knightquest: The Crusade Vol. 1 TP

Continuing the Knightfall Omnibus paperbacks, this collects half of the Azrael half of "Knightquest," Detective Comics #667-670, Robin #1-2, Batman: Shadow of the Bat #19-20, Batman #501-504, and Catwoman #6-7.

• Batman: Prelude to Knightfall TP

This collects Vengeance of Bane #1, Batman #484-491, and Detective Comics #654-658. What we're really waiting to see, maybe in next month's solicitations, is whether the final "Prodigal" book will also have the "Troika" storyline, collected for the first time in the Knightfall omnibuses, or whether those issues will be omitted.

• Batman: Preludes to the Wedding TP

Collects the one-shot specials spinning out of Tom King's Batman Vol. 7: Robin vs. Ra’s Al Ghul, Nightwing vs. Hush #1, Batgirl vs. The Riddler, Red Hood vs. Anarky and Harley Quinn vs. The Joker

• Batman: The Court of Owls Saga: The Essential Edition TP

Collects issues #1-11, so both the New 52 Batman Vol. 1: Court of Owls and Batman Vol. 2: City of Owls collections together. I'll be curious to see the trade dress on these new DC "Essential Editions."

• Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (DC Modern Classics Edition) HC

Two new collections series starting this month, "DC Modern Classics" and "DC Essential Editions." The Modern Classics are hardcover with slipcase, like this one; the Essential Editions are paperbacks usually spanning multiple individual trade collections.

• Batman: The Gates of Gotham Deluxe Edition HC

Once upon a time it seemed like Scott Snyder and company had a certain grand plan for the history of Gotham that I think never quite totally emerged, though we saw parts in Night of the Owls and etc. To that end I've thought Gates of Gotham never quite got its due (consider the last issue arrived on the eve of the New 52 relaunch) and so this deluxe collection is a nice surprise, a chance to consider the story on its own merits.

• Batman: The Golden Age Vol. 5 TP

Detective Comics #113-131, Batman #36-44, and World's Finest Comics #23-32.

• Batman/Catwoman: The Wedding Album: The Deluxe Edition HC

It's funny because I remember the Green Arrow/Black Canary: The Wedding Album collection. DC should retroactively do one of these for Superman and Lois. Collects the otherwise-collected Batman #24, #44, and #50, plus the retailer variant covers from issue #50, wedding dress designs by Joëlle Jones, and the script to issue #44.

• Before Watchmen Omnibus HC

This seems somewhat obvious, in retrospect -- an omnibus edition of the Before Watchmen books. Includes Before Watchmen: Comedian #1-6, Before Watchmen: Rorschach #1-4, Before Watchmen: Minutemen #1-6, Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #1-4, Before Watchmen: Nite Owl #1-4, Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan #1-4, Before Watchmen: Moloch #1-2, Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #1-6, Before Watchmen: Crimson Corsair #1, and Before Watchmen: Dollar Bill #1

• Damage Vol. 1: Out of Control TP

Collects issues #1-6 of the "New Age of Heroes" series spinning out of Dark Nights: Metal.

• Dark Knight III: The Master Race TP

The nine-issue miniseries and mini-comic tie-ins in paperback.

• Flash Vol. 7: Perfect Storm TP

Collects issues #39-45 by Joshua Williamson. The next trade will be the "Flash War" storyline.

• Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps Vol. 6: Zod's Will TP

Collects issues #37-41, which see the Corps face off with General Zod. I have enjoyed DC's use of Zod in non-Superman settings, e.g. in Suicide Squad, and I expect Robert Venditti will write him well too. I expect there's just one more collection of Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps to come, though it'll be a nine-issue trade.

• House of Mystery: The Bronze Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC

Issues #174-200. If I'm not mistaken, much of this has only been reprinted in black-and-white Showcase Presents volumes.

• Impulse by Mark Waid and Humberto Ramos Omnibus HC

If there was ever a really good use for an omnibus, it's 768 pages collecting Mark Waid's whole run on Impulse (issues #1-27), Flash #108-111, and the Secret Origins 80-Page Giant. For those playing along at home, we get an Underworld Unleashed tie-in issue plus the Impulse parts of the Flash "Dead Heat" crossover. Hopefully this sells well enough that DC decides to continue into the other writers' material.

Given seven-plus seasons, can the Flash TV show ever help but one day introduce Bart Allen? No, they can't.

• Injustice: Gods Among Us Year One Deluxe Edition Book One HC

Collects issues #1-12 with a new introduction by Tom Taylor.

• Justice League of America Vol. 5: Deadly Fable TP

Collects issues #22-29, the final collection of this series. I thought this book would last a lot longer but it does seem some of the public, magnanimous principles of Steve Orlando's League are carrying over to the new "Hall of Justice" League.

• Justice League Vol. 7: Justice Lost TP

Collects issues #39-43, also the end of this iteration of the Justice League title.

• Justice League: No Justice TP

Pretty darn impressive that DC is soliciting the hardcover paperback before the series is even done, and that it's coming out four months from now. Includes the relevant story from DC Nation #0.

• Nightwing Vol. 6: The Untouchable TP

Collects issues #35-41 by Sam Humphries, between Tim Seeley's and Benjamin Percy's runs.

• Scooby Apocalypse Vol. 4 TP

Issues #19-25

• Silencer Vol. 1: Code of Honor TP

Issues #1-6 by Dan Abnett with John Romita.

• Super Sons Vol. 3: Parent Trap TP

Collects issues #13-16 and Annual #1, the final issues of Peter Tomasi's series.

• Titans Book One: Together Forever TP

I definitely think Judd Winick's DC Comics work deserves more recognition than it gets, and the idea of DC collecting some of the old adult Titans Titans comics is great, but I really wish they'd have started with Devin Grayson's quite enjoyable The Titans series (starting really with JLA/Titans: The Technis Imperative) before going to this. Both of these series had their problems -- Grayson's book, later by Jay Faerber, gets embroiled in the annoying DEO Orphans, while Winick's book, later by Eric Wallace, becomes a dark villains' title -- but the start of Grayson's book had the better spirit of the adult Titans.

We did just get Titans: Total Chaos and now this because of the Titans TV series, so let's keep hoping for a classic "Titans Hunt" collection.

• Titans Vol. 4: Titans Apart TP

Collects the last issues of Titans before the new post-"No Justice" team arrives, issues #19-22 and Annual #2. I applaud DC for keeping the same numbering on this title, Teen Titans, and the soon-to-return Supergirl.

• United States of Murder Inc. Vol. 1: Truth TP

Issues #1-5 by Brian Michael Bendis.

• Watchmen (DC Modern Classics Edition) HC

Another DC Modern Classics hardcover edition with slipcase.

• Wonder Woman Vol. 6: Children of the Gods TP

The first collection of James Robinson's run, collecting issues #31-37.

Brian Michael Bendis's creator-owned books -- are these something I should get in to?