September means school is back in session, a crispness comes to the air, and there’s a new DC event dovetailing with the most recent DC event. Let’s get to it

10. Who exactly is uniting them?

I understand why it isn’t necessarily good business to be super up front about which properties are meant for fans of the Titans TV series, or any series for that matter, as you’re instantly limiting your audience. That said, this is very clearly a not so subtle way for DC to market a comic to folks for whom the world “Titans” conjures up bad wigs and mid-level CGI instead of 60 years of comics.

To quote Shark Tank: and it is for that reason that I am out.

TITANS UNITED: BLOODPACT #1 Written by CAVAN SCOTT Art by LUCAS MEYER Cover by EDDY BARROWS Variant cover by DERRICK CHEW 1:25 variant cover by TAURIN CLARKE 1:50 variant cover by STEPHEN BYRNE Hispanic Heritage Month variant cover by JORGE MOLINA $3.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 6 | Variant $4.99 US (card stock) ON SALE 9/20/22 The Titans are back, united against a common foe…aren’t they? All seems lost when Tim Drake wakes, out of uniform and seemingly out of time. Surely he was just fighting alongside Nightwing, Superboy, Starfire, Beast Boy, and Donna Troy? But where is Raven and what links her to the Fearsome Five? A blood sacrifice is coming that will change the world forever.

While I don’t think anyone was harboring delusions about the ‘Warworld Saga’ actually being the biggest Superman story since ‘Death of Superman,’ which was more or less explicitly said by multiple people, it has been a story that has been building for more than a year now. While the ‘Warworld Saga’ started in earnest last autumn, from the first issue of Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s run in early 2021, this was clearly the goal. In modern comics terms, that’s relatively rarified air, as while runs often can last more than a year, very rarely is this straight a line between the start and end of a story that lasts this long.

But, as my DC3cast co-host Zach said recently, the fact that Brandon Peterson and Will Conrad are drawing the finale of this means that DC lost interest in this story at some point. I’m not trying to bash either artist, but neither of them have been on this story thus far (aside from a few Conrad fill-in pages), and these artists are the folks that DC often trots out to fill in a gap or conclude a story that doesn’t have a solid artist already attached. It’s a shame that this story seems to be fizzling out, as Johnson has done a really nice job with crafting a meaningful story. But, as often is the case, the art has betrayed it in places.

SUPERMAN: WARWORLD APOCALYPSE #1 Written by PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON Art by BRANDON PETERSON and WILL CONRAD Cover by STEVE BEACH Variant cover by MARIO “FOX” FOCCILLO 1:25 foil variant cover by MIKEL JANÍN Distressed variant cover by STEVE BEACH $6.99 US | 56 pages | One-shot | Variant $7.99 US (card stock) ON SALE 8/30/22 It has all led to this: the final battle between Superman and Mongul, and between the Authority and Mongul’s Unmade Champions! The identity of the hooded stranger has been revealed, uncovering a shocking betrayal that threatens to crush Superman’s rebellion forever! But as the fate of Warworld relies on Superman, the last chance to return his powers now lies with Natasha and John Henry Irons. From the visionary creative team of Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Brandon Peterson, and Will Conrad, empires fall and rise and the fourth world is reborn in this jaw-dropping final chapter!

Only comics can get away with a phrase like “don’t miss the kickoff to the countdown to Action Comics #1050!” That’s almost an “it was an honor just to be almost nominated” level of nonsense. I get that they have to pique the interest of the reader for the next couple of months before the next big milestone issue, but “Superman and Steel rebuild Metropolis” would be a perfectly cromulent pitch, especially with the promise of new and old villains and needing ‘the whole Super-Family.’

But alas, Will Conrad. DC is sticking with its fill-in friend instead of bringing in an interesting name for a three issue arc. David Lapham has been doing backups, just get him to do three issues. Find some exciting new talent. Bring back a classic DC artist. Poach someone from a Marvel book for a short run. Anything but the usual suspect, please?

ACTION COMICS #1047 Written by PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON Art by WILL CONRAD Backup by DAVID LAPHAM Cover by STEVE BEACH Variant cover by NATHAN SZERDY 1:25 variant cover by LUCIO PARRILLO Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary variant cover by LEIRIX $4.99 US | 40 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock) ON SALE 9/27/22 In the aftermath of Superman’s epic Warworld Revolution, the Man of Steel is back on Earth and stronger than he’s ever been! As he and Steel join forces to remake Metropolis as a true City of Tomorrow, two of Superman’s most iconic villains take notice…and they have plans of their own. Meanwhile, Superman’s meddling on Warworld has had unforeseen consequences: he’s awakened an enemy so ancient and powerful, even this stronger-than-ever Superman will need the whole Super-Family to face it. Introducing new characters and beginning this new chapter in Superman’s mythology, don’t miss the kickoff to the countdown to Action Comics #1050!

This entry is both a PSA to remind folks that this series is still running, highlighting fun Bat-family tales that wouldn’t likely have a home at DC if not for a book like this, and also to point to one of the better corners of the Bat-books since ‘Future State,’ which features the Outsiders. Brandon Thomas has been telling this story in this title on and off since it launched, and it has been handled in the way that most superhero books should be: it takes the recent “Batman and the Outsiders” comic by Bryan Edward Hill and co. and expands upon it, introducing new ideas and concepts while dropping some old ones, but never making it feel like it is trying to work around what was done. This isn’t retconning, it’s embracing continuity and finding ways to introduce new ideas while working within the recent framework. It’s really well done, and has been a joy to read.

BATMAN: URBAN LEGENDS #19 Written by BRANDON THOMAS, BRANDON EASTON, CHRIS BURNHAM, ZAC THOMPSON, and JOEY ESPOSITO Art by ALBERTO JIMENEZ ALBURQUERQUE, WILL ROBSON, CHRIS BURNHAM, HAYDEN SHERMAN, and MIKEL JANÍN Cover by DIKE RUAN Variant covers by CHRIS BURNHAM and CLAIRE ROE $7.99 US | 64 pages | Prestige ON SALE 9/13/22 The Outsiders find the villain who has captured Duke Thomas’s mother. Alfred’s star turn as an investigator continues. A new murderer is plaguing the streets of Gotham City and Batman thinks it’s…a child? And we see inside the mind of Two-Face as we never have before. All included in this epic new issue of Batman: Urban Legends!

6. This is his boom stick!

Is it a gimmick to bring in Bruce Campbell to write a Sgt. Rock horror title? 100%, yes it is. Will I give this a try because of all the good will Bruce Campbell has earned in my life? Damn straight I will. Is Sgt. Rock a character that DC hasn’t had a good idea with in decades? Yes he is. Do I think Eduardo Risso will draw the shit out of this book? Absolutely.

DC HORROR PRESENTS: SGT. ROCK VS. THE ARMY OF THE DEAD #1 Written by BRUCE CAMPBELL Art by EDUARDO RISSO Cover by GARY FRANK Variant cover by FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA 1:25 variant cover by CHARLIE ADLARD 1:50 variant cover by CHRIS MOONEYHAM 1:100 variant cover by PIA GUERRA Duffel Bag Gore variant cover by FRANK QUITELY $3.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 6 | Variant $4.99 US (card stock) ON SALE 9/27/22 Berlin, 1944. The Nazis are besieged on all fronts by the Allied forces. Defeat is inevitable. But Hitler and his team of evil scientists attempt a last-ditch effort that may turn the tide of the war and rewrite history itself: a serum that resurrects their dead soldiers, stronger than they were in life, and sends them back into the battlefield. Now Sgt. Frank Rock and Easy Company have been dispatched into enemy territory to face off against the strangest, most horrific enemies they’ve ever encountered: Nazi zombies! Horror icon Bruce Campbell and comics legend Eduardo Risso bring you a terror-soaked Sgt. Rock tale like no other!

DC’s anthology issues almost always make this column’s list because they are great places for both nostalgia and new faces. It’ll be fun for a few pages to see Conner/Palmiotti return to Harley, ditto Sam Humphries. It’s nice to see the current team of Stephanie Phillips and Riley Rossmo get a story. I’m intrigued what the Dodsons will do, or what Cecil Castellucci and Dan Hipp have up their sleeves. These issues are always fun and, with Harley such a large part of the DC fabric over the past decade, it only makes sense that she gets an issue like this.

HARLEY QUINN 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL #1 Written by AMANDA CONNER, JIMMY PALMIOTTI, PAUL DINI, STEPHANIE PHILLIPS, STJEPAN ŠEJIĆ, SAM HUMPHRIES, KAMI GARCIA, ROB WILLIAMS, MINDY LEE, TERRY DODSON, CECIL CASTELLUCCI, and RAFAEL SCAVONE Art by CHAD HARDIN, GUILLEM MARCH, RILEY ROSSMO, STJEPAN ŠEJIĆ, ERICA HENDERSON, JASON BADOWER, MICO SUAYAN, JOHN TIMMS, TERRY DODSON, RACHEL DODSON, DAN HIPP, and RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE Cover by AMANDA CONNER Variant covers by J. SCOTT CAMPBELL, ADAM HUGHES, STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU, LEE BERMEJO, JEROME OPEÑA, BRUCE TIMM, TERRY DODSON, and STJEPAN ŠEJIĆ 1:25 variant cover by AMANDA CONNER 1:50 foil variant cover by STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU $9.99 US | 96 pages | Prestige | One-shot ON SALE 9/13/22 You are cordially invited to an oversize extravaganza celebrating the Clown Princess of Crime’s 30th birthday in this fantabulous special! That’s right—Harley Quinn turns 30 in absolute style and has invited a squad of her old creative pals to join her with a killer lineup of amazing stories! And the reviews are in—it’s guaranteed AWESOME:

“Last chance, Quinn. Don’t make me do this.” —Amanda Waller

“Wait…you’re not going back to…” —Red Tool

4. [AC/DC riff playing] THUNDER

Earlier in this column, I mentioned how there was a comic that was essentially a tie-in to Titans, and how for that reason I was out on it. Well, this comic takes place in the world of the Shazam movie, and I am 100% in for it. Does that make me a hypocrite? Shut up, that’s why!

SHAZAM! THUNDERCRACK Written by YEHUDI MERCADO Art and cover by YEHUDI MERCADO $9.99 US | 160 pages | 5 1/2″ x 8″ | Softcover ISBN: 978-1-77950-502-6 ON SALE 11/29/22 Billy Batson’s never been a team player, and becoming the superhero Shazam didn’t seem to change that much. But his new strength and stamina will make football a breeze—which is good, because his school needs a new quarterback! Between football practice and superhero training, Billy’s muscles are getting bigger, but so is his ego. Will foster dad Victor’s wise counsel and memories of his own football triumphs help keep young Shazam grounded? Shazam! Thundercrack is set within the movie timeline, showing Freddy’s vlog filled with superhero training montages, family pranks, and the new gig he took to monitor Billy’s football practices (the cheerleading squad really needed a new mascot!).

3. I guess that Bendis created ‘Drake” codename is gone forever?

The recent “Dark Crisis: Young Justice” series has done a lot to build my confidence in Meghan Fitzmartin as a writer. In her initial Tim Drake stories, featuring in “Batman: Urban Legends,” I felt that her ideas were good, but her execution both sloppy and boring. But “DC:YJ” has already shown more mastery of setting an interesting story and then not dropping the ball when it has to actually do stuff.

I like the idea of giving Tim his own corner of Gotham, and I like the idea of building a supporting cast around Bernard. Tim is arguably the ‘best’ Robin, in terms of being what Batman envisioned Robin to be. He benefitted from a post-Jason Bruce, from having Dick as a mentor, and from having a crew of heroes that he fit in with. This book can build on all of that, while still telling a new story. I just hope that Fitzmartin is up for the challenge.

TIM DRAKE: ROBIN #1 Written by MEGHAN FITZMARTIN Art by RILEY ROSSMO Cover by RICARDO LÓPEZ ORTIZ One Year Later Era variant cover by JORGE JIMENEZ Harley 30th variant cover by DAVID BALDEON Debut Era 1:25 variant cover by SWEENEY BOO Young Justice Era 1:50 variant cover by DAN MORA Teen Titans Era 1:100 variant cover by JAMAL CAMPBELL $3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock) ON SALE 9/27/22 Step aside, Damian—the world’s favorite Robin has got this! That’s right, after years away, Tim Drake is taking center stage in a brand-spanking-new Robin series of his very own! A mystery over a year in the making takes shape, as a new villain who’s been hounding Tim from afar decides to take things up close and personal, putting Bernard and everyone else Tim cares about in peril as things go from bad to worse for the world’s oldest and canonically tallest Robin [no, I will not be fact-checking that]. All that and Tim finally carves out a corner of Gotham City just for himself, and sets up shop in his very own…murder shack boat? Fan-favorite writer Meghan Fitzmartin teams up with beloved Harley Quinn artist Riley Rossmo to define the next chapter in Tim’s life. And as if that wasn’t enough, break out your skateboards and motorcycles cuz we’ve assembled a murderer’s row of artists to draw the 1990s’ One True Robin™ in his various looks from over the years!

It is very rare that a middle issue of an event gets a spot on this list, because there’s usually nothing in the solicit that will excite the reader all that much in the text itself. The point of a #4 event solicit is somewhat moot, as people are either in for the story or not by this point. However, let’s look at the last line of this solicit:

Dark Crisis is in many ways the direct sequel to the original Crisis on Infinite Earths by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. In this issue Pariah’s attempt to restore the infinite Multiverse reaches a breaking point! Stay tuned for a special announcement at SDCC 2022 that will change all you know about Dark Crisis!

Now, hyperbole is the name of the game here, but I like DC using their solicits to drum up hype about San Diego Comic Con, and I’m impressed that DC is leaning back into using SDCC as a place to break big news. Here’s hoping it isn’t a press release on Tuesday ahead of the con, but an actual in the panel moment, as it has been years – years – since DC did that. I think the last big one was the Sandman Universe announcement in 2018?

Plus, I’m just excited to see another wrinkle added to this story. Well played, DC.

DARK CRISIS #4 Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON Art and cover by DANIEL SAMPERE and ALEJANDRO SÁNCHEZ Variant cover by TERRY DODSON and RACHEL DODSON 1:25 variant cover by DAN JURGENS and NORM RAPMUND 1:50 variant cover by NATHAN SZERDY 1:100 variant cover by DANIEL SAMPERE and ALEJANDRO SÁNCHEZ Zero Hour homage variant cover by BRETT BOOTH and JONATHAN GLAPION $4.99 | 32 pages | 4 of 7 | Variant $5.99 US (card stock) ON SALE 9/6/22 Witness the birth of the new DC Multiverse! Spinning out of the pages of The Flash, the heroes have learned the secret of Pariah’s new worlds—but at what cost does this knowledge come, and what can they even do with this information—or even worse, perhaps Pariah and the Great Darkness want them to know…? On Earth-Zero, Deathstroke continues to move forward with his plans to erase legacy heroics once and for all, while Jon Kent, Nightwing, and the ragtag group of youngsters rally to step up to the increasing number of challenges. The event of the year rages on!

Dark Crisis is in many ways the direct sequel to the original Crisis on Infinite Earths by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. In this issue Pariah’s attempt to restore the infinite Multiverse reaches a breaking point! Stay tuned for a special announcement at SDCC 2022 that will change all you know about Dark Crisis!

1. And now, for the main event

Let’s lay out why this is good: it’s not a ‘Damian and Bruce fight over ethics’ fight number one thousand. It’s not an alternate universe tale. Mark Waid is telling a Bruce/Damian story that has been building for a few months now, and doing it in a way that lets it be its own thing, and allows the recent father/son reconciliation still stick and mean something. Waid is really, really good at doing what Brandon Thomas is doing with the Outsiders; he takes all the pieces laid out for him, and tells a story that builds on them by being additive.

Plus, this sees Mahmud Asrar return. Asrar first came to my attention during the New 52, where he never quite got enough praise for the work he was doing. Now, he’s back at DC and I can’t wait to see his take on Lazarus island.

BATMAN VS. ROBIN #1 Written by MARK WAID Art and cover by MAHMUD ASRAR Variant covers by JASON FABOK, ALEXANDER LOZANO, JOSHUA MIDDLETON, and STEVE BEACH 1:25 variant cover by LUCIO PARRILLO 1:50 variant cover by BRYAN HITCH 1:100 foil variant cover by MAHMUD ASRAR Team retailer variant cover by DAVE RAPOZA $5.99 US | 48 pages | 1 of 5 | Variant $6.99 US (card stock) ON SALE 9/13/22 Spinning out of the events of both Batman/Superman: World’s Finest and Shadow War, father and son will do battle in one of the single most earth-shattering tales ever told! Deep in the heart of Lazarus Island, the demonic legacy of the al Ghul family line has at last been freed, and the Devil Nezha is out for blood. To reclaim his total domination over planet Earth, Nezha has supercharged magic—anyone who dares use it is overcome by a demonic evil that supercharges their abilities to dangerous, unpredictable, and in some cases deadly levels! With Damian in Nezha’s clutches and Bruce haunted by the return of an old friend, the Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder are pitted against one another in the battle of the century! Legendary writer Mark Waid helms the next epic saga in Batman history, while superstar artist Mahmud Asrar makes his triumphant return to DC!

For the full solicits, check out Newsarama.

Brian Salvatore is an editor, podcaster, reviewer, writer at large, and general task master at Multiversity. When not writing, he can be found playing music, hanging out with his kids, or playing music with his kids. He also has a dog named Lola, a rowboat, and once met Jimmy Carter. Feel free to email him about good beer, the New York Mets, or the best way to make Chicken Parmagiana (add a thin slice of prosciutto under the cheese).

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