Wonder Woman #758
Written by: Steve Orlando
Art by: Emanuela Lupacchino
Wonder Woman puts herself on the line to save Warmaster from an ancient power-the Phantom Stranger! But Diana is out of her depth, and the Stranger’s power knows no limit! Is our hero prepared to break eternal law to save her former friend? Or is the Circle of Eternity’s judgment exactly what Warmaster deserves?
Light the Bat-signal, because Detective Comics #1027 is headed your way this September 15! In honor of Batman’s first appearance in Detective Comics #27 on March 30, 1939, this special 144-page celebration is poised to truly spotlight the “Detective” in Detective Comics. Batman and his allies will have a mountain of mysteries to solve, taking them from the seediest corners of Gotham City to the farthest reaches of the DC universe, plus a few early hints at what’s in store for the future of the Caped Crusader!
A book of this magnitude deserves the best storytellers in comics and a must-read lineup of DC’s most prolific writers and artists are rising to meet the challenge, including Greg Rucka/Eduardo Risso, Grant Morrison/Chris Burnham, Tom King/Walt Simonson, James Tynion IV/Riley Rossmo, Peter J. Tomasi/Brad Walker, Dan Jurgens, Marv Wolfman/Emanuela Lupacchino, and Bill Sienkiewicz, Brian Michael Bendis/David Marquez, Mariko Tamaki/Dan Mora, Scott Snyder/Ivan Reis, Kelly Sue DeConnick/John Romita Jr and Klaus Janson, and Matt Fraction/Chip Zdarsky.
Detective Comics #1027 also includes “tribute” art from fan-favorite artists, including, José Luis García-López, Jamal Campbell, Lee Bermejo, and Jorge Jiménez, among others. An extensive variant cover program is planned for this landmark issue, including a series of ten variants spotlighting both friends and foes of Batman, and an extensive program of retailer-exclusive variant covers.
Detective Comics #1027 arrives at open and operating comic book stores and participating digital retailers beginning Tuesday, September 15, 2020. This must-have collectible sells for $9.99.
With the Birds of Prey having a bit of a moment with a cult love of the recent movie release, you’d think DC Comics would be focused on capturing that wave with a comic that’s accessible, new reader-friendly, and most importantly. Instead, we get Birds of Prey #1, a one-shot comic that’s a part of the “adult” DC Black Label line of comics. It’s also a mess.
Written by Brian Azzarello, the story follows a Mexican drug cartel and their soldiers, the Esposas De La Muerta, as they make a move on Gotham’s drug trade. What follows is a story that is steeped in stereotypes, many bad, and action movie cliches. The drug mentioned is fentanyl, which is the first issue of the comic and highlighting the unfortunate choices from there. While “Mexican drug cartels” might be the “enemy” the current President points to, fentanyl is mainly flowing from China. So, for those who know these things, that detail takes me out of the story. It makes the “bad guys” presented feel even more cliche and not needed.
From there, it’s just bad plotlines like drug overdoses, calls to missed connections just before getting killed, crooked cops (this part doesn’t even make sense), and shoot outs that defy all logic. It’s a poorly paced, badly plotted comic that has so many issues… well, lets try to find something positive.
Azzarello does deliver some nice banter. The interaction between Huntress, Harley Quinn, and Black Canary is fun with some solid banter and dialogue. The lettering by Steve Wands really pays off here. There are also some fun “action film” moments that are enhanced by Emanuela Lupacchino‘s art but so much is steeped in bad cliche and stereotype.
Lupacchino’s art absolutely has its moments but there’s just comically bad moments as well. It all comes together for a rather blah visual experience. The design for the Esposas De La Muerta take from the Dia De Los Muertos. Again the gives us nothing new or interesting, just Mexican visual stereotypes. That extends to speech patterns in Azzarello’s writing.
Birds of Prey #1 doesn’t take flight and instead plays off like an 80s B-movie mixed with really outdated views of Mexicans and just incorrect real world information. It’s hard to overlook the bad here. Take out the Birds of Prey, and you have a bad crime story that’s forgettable in every way. DC had an opportunity to deliver a comic that’d entice movie audiences to discover more but this comic’s end result might be the opposite.
Story: Brian Azzarello Art: Emanuela Lupacchino
Ink: Ray McCarthy Color: Trish Mulvihill, John Kalisz Letterer: Steve Wands
Story: 6.0 Art: 6.0 Overall: 6.0 Recommendation: Pass
DC Comics provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology – Amazon – Kindle – TFAW – Zeus Comics
Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular
(W) Ed Brubaker, Paul Dini, Tom King, Ann Nocenti, Mindy Newell, Will Pfeifer, Others (A) Cameron Stewart, Mikel Janin, Adam Hughes, Emanuela Lupacchino, Steve Rude, Jim Balent, Tula Lotay (CA) Joëlle Jones
In Shops: Jun 03, 2020
SRP: $9.99
Our gal Catwoman is turning 80 next year (and looking very good, if we meow say), and DC is celebrating with nothing less than with a huge soiree, invite only, packed with creators who mean the most to her and to whom she means the most! Stories featured in this 100-page spectacular include a tail-sorry, tale-that takes place at the end of the Brubaker/Stewart Catwoman run, in honor of artist Darwyn Cooke. Plus, Catwoman is caught by an exotic cat collector, runs into a wannabe thief trying to prove himself as her apprentice, encounters a mystery involving memorabilia from alternate continuities, and of course some Bat/Cat fun.
Birds of Prey #1
(W) Brian Azzarello (A/CA) Emanuela Lupacchino, Ray McCarthy
In Shops: Jun 03, 2020
SRP: $9.99
Black Canary’s life has spiraled out of control: her personal life is going through the ringer and her band is in crisis when an old flame resurfaces only to flicker out and set her on an all-new mission against an all-new opponent. The only thing she has to be grateful for is the fact that she’s not alone, as Huntress finds herself on a collision course with Black Canary’s quarry at Detective Montoya’s urging. Meanwhile, Harley Quinn has resurfaced outside of Gotham City and out of the Suicide Squad, with a new lease on life that is sure to make everyone else’s life more complicated.
And that’s only the first five pages of this high-octane, graphic novel-length one-shot that pushes the Birds of Prey far beyond their limits and puts them up against the most brutal crime syndicate to ever sweep into Gotham City! Hardboiled superstar writer Brian Azzarello and the bombshell art team of Emanuela Lupacchino and Ray McCarthy take the Birds into the no-holds-barred world of Black Label, and none of them will ever be the same! PRESTIGE FORMAT One Shot
Wonder Woman #750, on shelves this Wednesday, is an all-star 96-page celebration of the Amazon Princess by longtime favorites and acclaimed new voices! This oversized gem tells tales from Diana’s past and present, along with major implications for the future of DC’s first Super Hero!
With the publication of Wonder Woman #750, DC returns to legacy numbering for Wonder Woman, gives a glimpse into Diana’s distant past, and heads boldly towards the future!
Storytellers contributing to the issue also include Colleen Doran, Mariko Tamaki, legendary Wonder Woman creators Gail Simone, Liam Sharp, Nicola Scott, and Greg Rucka returning to the character, and more! Wonder Woman #750 also features pinup artwork by Ramona Fradon, José Luis Garcia-López, Emanuela Lupacchino, Bilquis Evely, and Travis Moore.
One of those major implications was teased in 2019, that Wonder Woman’s legacy precedes all other Super Heroes in the DCU’s overarching narrative. A hint at what that looks like can be seen in Wonder Woman #750’s “A Brave New World” eight-page story by Scott Snyder, Bryan Hitch, Mike Spicer, and Tom Napolitano.
Check out this first look:
DC’s feline fatale celebrates an 80th anniversary this year, and that calls for a grand soiree, invite only, attended by some of comics’ top creators! Stock up on both catnip and champagne!
Since the character first appeared alongside Batman in 1940’s Batman #1, Catwoman has become an icon to millions of comic book fans. The undeniable magnetism between Batman and Catwoman has been one of comics’ most reliable constants: wherever Catwoman goes, Batman is sure to follow, if only to take her down. As deadly as she is beautiful, infamous cat burglar Selina Kyle uses her nine lives to walk the razor’s edge between light and darkness in Gotham City.
On April 15, 2020, DC will celebrate Catwoman’s 80th anniversary with a landmark one-shot, Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1. Featuring a cover by series writer/artist Joëlle Jones, this must-have tribute comic includes stories by Ed Brubaker, Cameron Stewart, Paul Dini, Ann Nocenti, Adam Hughes, Tom King, Mikel Janín, Mindy Newell, Will Pfeifer, and Emanuela Lupacchino, as well as pinups by Steve Rude, Tula Lotay, Jim Balent, and others.
In a story that expands their monumental run, writer Ed Brubaker and artist Cameron Stewart will reprise their Catwoman collaboration with a new 12-page story, “The Art of Picking a Lock,” that takes place near end of their original dynamic story line that started with iconic storyteller Darwyn Cooke. And no stranger himself to writing dangerous antiheroes, Harley Quinn co-creator Paul Dini debuts a new character for Selina Kyle’s anniversary in a story about an exotic cat taxidermist who intends to add Catwoman to their collection!
Cameron Stewart has teased a bit of his contribution with Ed Brubaker.
In addition to Jones’s dynamic cover, fans and collectors can also look forward to eight variant covers spotlighting Catwoman throughout the decades, drawn by some of comics’ premier artists:
The Catwoman 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1 is a prestige format comic book retailing for $9.99 and available at local comics retailers and digital retailers on April 15, 2020.
ARCHIE #710 (ARCHIE & KATY KEENE PT. 1)
Script: Mariko Tamaki and Kevin Panetta
Art: Laura Braga, Matt Herms, Jack Morelli
Cover: Laura Braga
Variant Covers: Francesco Francavilla, Emanuela Lupacchino, Paul Renaud, Billy Tucci
On Sale Date: 1/15
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.
There’s a new girl in Riverdale and she’s turning everyone’s heads—and NOT everyone is happy about that! Who is Katy Keene and why is she so Insta-famous and beloved in Riverdale? And, moreover, why is she quickly becoming Archie’s biggest competition? Find out in this brand-new story arc from the creative team of writers Mariko Tamaki and Kevin Panetta and artist Laura Braga—just in time for the brand-new CW series Katy Keene!
ARCHIE #710 (ARCHIE AND KATY KEENE PART 1)
Script: Mariko Tamaki and Kevin Panetta
Art: Laura Braga, Matt Herms, Jack Morelli
Cover: Laura Braga
Variant Covers: Francesco Francavilla, Emanuela Lupacchino, Paul Renaud, Billy Tucci
On Sale Date: 1/8
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.
There’s a new girl in Riverdale and she’s turning everyone’s heads—and NOT everyone is happy about that! Who is Katy Keene and why is she so Insta-famous and beloved in Riverdale? And, moreover, why is she quickly becoming Archie’s biggest competition? Find out in this brand-new story arc from the creative team of writers Mariko Tamaki and Kevin Panetta and artist Laura Braga—just in time for the brand-new CW series Katy Keene!
Wonder Woman #750
Stories and artwork by Steve Orlando, Jesus Marino, Greg Rucka, Nicola Scott, Gail Simone, Colleen Doran, Marguerite Bennett, Laura Braga, Scott Snyder, Bryan Hitch, Mariko Tamaki, Elena Casagrande, Kami Garcia, Phil Hester, Shannon and Dean Hale, Riley Rossmo, Vita Ayala, Amancay Nahuelpan, Ramona Fradon, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, Emanuela Lupacchino, Liam Sharp, Bilquis Evely and Travis Moore.
Cover by Joëlle Jones and Trish Mulvihill
In Shops: Jan 22, 2020
Final Orders Due: Dec 09, 2019
Prestige Format
SRP: $9.99
Decade Variant covers:
1940s variant cover by Joshua Middleton
1950s variant cover by Jenny Frison
1960s variant cover by J. Scott Campbell and Sabine Rich
1970s variant cover by Olivier Coipel
1980s variant cover by George Pérez and Laura Martin
1990s variant cover by Brian Bolland
2000s variant cover by Adam Hughes
2010s variant cover by Jim Lee, Scott Williams & Alex Sinclair
AN ALL-STAR COLLECTION OF CREATIVE TALENT CELEBRATE
WONDER WOMAN THIS JANUARY IN LANDMARK ISSUE
Wonder Woman #750 is an all-star 96-page celebration of the Amazon Princess by longtime favorites and acclaimed new voices! This oversized gem tells tales from Diana’s past and present, along with major implications for the future of DC’s first Super Hero! Storytellers contributing to the issue include Colleen Doran, Mariko Tamaki, and legendary Wonder Woman creators Gail Simone, Liam Sharp, Nicola Scott and Greg Rucka returning to the character! Wonder Woman #750 also features pinup artwork by Ramona Fradon, José Luis Garcia-López, Emanuela Lupacchino, Bilquis Evely and Travis Moore.
In this first look, Mariko Tamaki and Elena Casagrande show Wonder Woman’s strength; Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott test her friendship and grace; and Gail Simone, Colleen Doran, and Hi-Fi revisit her love and compassion (and bring back Star-Blossom!) to showcase Diana’s wisdom and wonder. All this and more when Wonder Woman #750 hits shelves on January 22nd, 2020.
