Saturday, April 14, 2012

July Solicits

The DC July Solicits were recently released and it looks like there will be a couple of things to look forward to. As the DC website is still terribly wonky to navigate, here is a link to Newsarama's lisitngs:
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/dc-comics-July-2012-solicitations.html

Here are the super-books basking in the summer sun:



SUPERGIRL #11 
Written by MICHAEL GREEN and MIKE JOHNSON Art and cover by MAHMUD ASRAR

• It’s Supergirl’s first date on Earth – which means it’s time for a new villain to attack and Supergirl to figure out...she has new powers?

So I have just come to grips with the 'solar flare' power ... maybe it needs a jazzier name, like 'the corona wave'. But even more new powers?? I think I'll be slack-jawed and buggy eyed if she sprouts flame wings.
And a date? Fascinating. The one thing I keep wanting to read is her meeting up with Kal again. I hope she doesn't somehow magically adapt to Earth without a little familial love.

As always, just a stunning cover by Mahmud Asrar.



ACTION COMICS #11 
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Backup story written by SHOLLY FISCH
Art by RAGS MORALES and RICK BRYANT
Backup story art by BRAD WALKER
Cover by RAGS MORALES
Variant cover by CULLY HAMNER
1:100 B and W Variant cover by RAGS MORALES

• Superman’s NEW secret identity revealed!
• LOIS LANE continues her investigation into the mystery of Earth’s FIRST Superman!
• Plus, in the backup story: We know where Superman got his armor costume, but where did he get all those “S” T-shirts?

Okay, so the story is Nimrod has most likely 'killed' Clark Kent making Superman become someone else. And a major Lois investigative story arc sounds interesting. Is the 'first Superman' Iron Munro? And the Fisch back-up sounds cute.

But isn't it a little early for this sort of story. Again, metatextually we have just met this Superman. We don't know Clark yet. So how can we mourn the loss of Clark as an identity.

Can't wait to see the Hamner variant.



SUPERMAN #11 
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art by DAN JURGENS and JESUS MERINO
Cover by DAN JURGENS and NORM RAPMUND
1:25 B and W Variant cover by DAN JURGENS and NORM RAPMUND

 • A powerful and violent being from a different dimension has been mistakenly brought to Earth – and only SUPERMAN can stop it!
• What is the true nature of SUPERMAN’S costume?

The first thing that caught my eye here ... no Keith Giffen anywhere in the credits. I guess Jurgens is running the show now. Even the cover has a 90s feel to it.

We recently saw the new suit's unstable/morphogenic nature. I wonder if this will be a back-up feature or incorportated into the story.



SUPERBOY #11 
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art by R.B. SILVA and ROB LEAN
Cover by SCOTT CLARK and DAVE BEATY

• SUPERBOY’S spent his whole short life in the clutches of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. – so now that he’s free, where will he live? How about NEW YORK CITY?
• Guest-starring TEEN TITANS teammate BUNKER as they try to stop the rampage of the monstrous DETRITUS!

Hoo boy. Another Superboy month linked to the Teen Titans. I don't read Titans. I don't want to read Titans. So stop crossing over! I also wonder how Superboy can just up and live in the city without a means of income, an identity, etc.



WORLDS’ FINEST #3 
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art by GEORGE PEREZ, SCOTT KOBLISH and KEVIN MAGUIRE
Cover by GEORGE PEREZ
1:25 B and W Variant cover by GEORGE PEREZ

• Huntress and Power Girl begin trying to track the “invader” who came through the Boom Tube from Earth 2 with them.
• More is revealed about the first five years our heroines spent stranded on our Earth.

Hmmm ... a Boom Tube took them here. Given Superman's visions in JLA of Darkseid conquering other universes, looks like Boom Tubes are now multi-dimensional. I hope the invader is someone with strong Earth 2 roots in the old DCU who also has been seen on Earth 1 in the past. Maybe Solomon Grunduy?

Anyways, we will see just how this title plays out. I thought Perez/Maguire would be trading issues. But now I read the Maguire is doing the Earth 2 moments. Interesting.



SUPERMAN FAMILY ADVENTURES #3 
Written by ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO
Art and cover by ART BALTAZAR

• What is JIMMY OLSEN'S SUPERGIRL THEORY?
• The sky is filled with SUPER-PETS!
• What's up with Jimmy's wristwatch? How does that thing work?
• Oh yeah, there's also an appearance by SUPERMAN!

Now this cover looks very much like a Tiny Titans cover. And my original feeling was that SMA was going to be a bit less silly. Still, it is hard to complain about a cover that has Streaky and Comet on it, amongst all the other friends.

On top of that Jimmy's Super-girl theory? Now that is a story I want to read!

Anyways,  it is sort of a light month. I am more interested in seeing next month's listings. I think August is the super-book crossover month. Plus, will the one year mark mean that we will see some 'final issue' solicits.

4 comments:

valerie21601 said...

From what I have seen I suspect DC is trying really hard, even too hard to boost sales of the Teen Titans. I wonder what the real numbers are on it. Along with the other DC titles not in the Top 10 in sales.

I know for a fact that my local comic shop has sent back every issue to his distributor of some series because not one issue was sold. Since he runs a tiny comic shop, he has to be careful about what he stocks on his shelves.

Anonymous said...

Y'know another thing I dislike about Superman's new costume, it is "jointed" in such a fashion as to suggest a high end toy action figure.
"Mint in the Box"...

JF

Martin Gray said...

I'm disappointed at the apparent loss of Keith Giffen from the Superman book, he and Jurgens work well together.

Anj said...

Thanks for all the comments -

1) Val, I worry about small comic shops for just that reason. I feel lucky I go to a relatively big store which stocks pretty well.

2) Mart, I also worry about the loss of Giffen.