DC Comics July 2024 Solicitations

The July solicits for DC Comics has come out and get ready for the next big DC event.

To look at all the solicits, you can head here:
https://www.gamesradar.com/DC-comics-july-2024-solicitations-covers/

The big news, of course, is the DC event called Absolute Power. I'll post the first issue solicit below but the basic gist of the story is that an evil trinity of Amanda Waller, the Brainiac Queen, and Failsafe have teamed up. Somehow they have removed the powers of all the super-heroes. And now they are ready to take over.

I have to say that I am sick of Amanda Waller as a near omnipresent and somehow an incredibly effective super-villain. She is everywhere. And seeing the heroes depowered isn't a great hook for me. I read the books because these characters are powered!

There are a couple of interesting trades coming out, specifically the Superman Elseworld stories collected and the first omnibus of the Superman Triangle era. Sadly, no Supergirl book or mention (at least as far as I could see).

Absolute Power #1
Written by MARK WAID
Art and cover by DAN MORA
Variant covers by JIM LEE, STEPHEN BLISS, PUPPETEER LEE, CHRIS SAMNEE, CHRISSIE ZULLO, and more

THE TRINITY OF EVIL HAS WON.

DC’s epic summer event kicks off with a bang, as the combined might of FAILSAFE and the BRAINIAC QUEEN has at last given Amanda Waller the ability to steal the metahuman abilities of every hero and villain on planet Earth. As chaos erupts in the streets and a massive misinformation campaign sways public opinion to her side, the founder of the Suicide Squad methodically targets each superhero dynasty one at a time, starting with SUPERMAN. But even in this darkest of hours, a resistance is forming…and BATMAN is out for vengeance. It’s a shocking blitzkrieg across the globe that is decades in the making—and will shape the course of the DC Universe for years to come! Brought to you by the superstar talents of MARK WAID and DAN MORA—it all starts here!

Waid and Mora are a fantastic team. Seeing Mora drawing an event incorporating the whole DCU is a big draw. But I just don't think it is going to be enough. And seeing Batman seeking vengeance somehow is a negative draw.

On to the super-titles.

Review: Batman/Superman World's Finest #26

Batman/Superman World's Finest has been one of the consistently entertaining, high quality books since its premiere. It always is the 'top of the pile' book, the one I read first to start to weekly comic session on the right foot.

It perhaps is why I am struggling with Batman/Superman World's Finest #26 and this imp arc. It just hasn't grabbed me yet. It is a weird mix of fun and dark, perhaps not enough of either to make me feel settled. And being an unsettled reader isn't a bad thing. I'm thinking about this story a lot after I have read it. There has always been a sort of sense of joy or reverence with the DCU in this book and I'm just not getting the joy.

Mark Waid has a decent idea here. If there are imps obsessed with Batman and Superman, couldn't there be imps obsessed with Sinestro and the Parasite? And having the World's Finest teams split up with their opposite World's Funnest team is a good story beat. But there is a darkness in this story that bubbles under the surface.

Meanwhile, Dan Mora continues to just bring it. From the zaniness of the imp designs to the psychedelic insanity of Parasite's attacks from a nod to classic Earth-2 Robin, he stuff continues to be the best artist out there. 

On to the book.

Review: Superman #13

Superman #13 came out this week, the second chapter of the House of Brainiac storyline and another winner, especially if you are a Supergirl fan.

The arc started just last week with an absolutely crackling opening chapter, full of action and mystery. Writer Joshua Williamson and artist Rafa Sandoval keep their creative feet on the gas, cranking everything up. We get some new information to continue to build the story. We get new mysteries, including a big one about Brainiac's motivations. And there is still a lot of action, showing just how scary Superman would be if he sort of lost his filters. 

In comics, there is more than action and plot. There is characterization. Seeing Superman seethe over Brainiac's attack and take out some of his frustration on Lobo was tremendous. It humanizes Superman a little. And hearing Lobo be a sort of amateur therapist was also fantastic. 

But the biggest win in this comic was Williamson's take on Supergirl. She is confident. She is angry, appropriately so given her history with Brainiac. She is brash, willing to take risks to fight her foe. She's young and learning. We even hear about a history with Brainiac 5, something we haven't seen in a long time. That shows that Williamson is knowledgeable of her history and respects it. Heck, even the cliffhanger is a Supergirl moment.

I have been singing Rafa Sandavol's work for a while now. He really is shining here. It's like he has elevated his game, bringing in more layered and detail to his work, perhaps because he was given time to do this whole arc? 

On to the book.

Absolute DC And Scott Snyder

I'm an old jaded reader who remembers when words like 'Crisis' carried some sort of weight. 

In the near 16 years I have been blogging about Supergirl and DC comics, I have seen more reboots, both hard and soft, to have a clear number in my head. From the dramatic New 52 relaunch to Rebirth, Dawn of DC, Black Labels, All-Star titles, semi-5G leanings, and Earth-One graphic novels, it seems even a staunch 'Wednesday Warrior' like me doesn't know what is in continuity or out. 

I'm not even sure if it matters any more.

So I don't know what necessarily to make of the news broken by Bleeding Cool about Scott Snyder starting up a new sort of DC imprint called Absolute. Here is the link:
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/scott-snyder-ultimate-line-dc-absolute-comics-all-in/

This sounds more like an offshoot than a re-write. Everyone seems to be saying it will be DC's version of Marvel's Ultimate line (although that sounds like what Earth-One was supposed to be). That's fine with me. There aren't many DC books set in the current continuity that I find engaging and maybe a new start somewhere nearby isn't a bad idea.

I think Scott Snyder is a solid writer who shone brightest on Batman. His Superman Unchained book was interesting but somewhat forgettable. And his non-DC work on independents have never really grabbed me in a way that I have stuck around. Still, he has some clout and probably has enough connections to bring some big names in with him to give this a decent send-off. 

Will this be a unified Absolute universe, a sort of 'Don't call us the New 52' new DC world? Will it be 'stand-alone' vanity projects which sounds like the All-Star line? Or something in between.

Will this be built on some sort of foundation. The Absolute Superman coming from Krypton and being a good guy? Or will it be completely new where Superman could be someone from Earth who got powers?

I don't care. Just bring me good stories.

Well, I care a little bit. But bring me good stories.

But really, I have one selfish desire from this new line.

Give me a good Supergirl book.

Joshua Williamson On 'House of Brainiac' And Supergirl

Action Comics #1064 came out last week and was a stellar opening chapter to the House of Brainiac story. I was quite impressed with the execution. If the first issue is any indication, this looks like it is going to be a great arc.

Over on AIPT, Joshua Williamson did a very thorough discussion on his approach to Superman and this story in particular. This is a very in-depth discussion on many aspects of the House Of Brainiac. So it is definitely worth reading in its entirety. Here is a link:

https://aiptcomics.com/2024/04/09/house-of-brainiac-deep-dive/

One thing that is clear is that Williamson is thinking about all the characters in the super-family and discusses Superboy, Lena, and others.

He also talks about Supergirl. And that is the part I am going to focus on.

Review: Action Comics #1064

Action Comics #1064, the first part of the House of Brainiac arc, came out this week and was an unbelievably fantastic issue on many levels. If there was ever a 'jumping on' Superman comic, something to recommend to friends, it's this one.

This is how you start a mini-event perhaps designed to bring in new readers. Showcase everything that there is to love about the main character - here Superman's earnestness, his geekiness, his heroism. Give a glimpse of the cast of the book. Ramp the action up to 10. Introduce the main villain and have there be a serious threat on the horizon. Sprinkle in some mysteries and you have a crackling open chapter.

Here, Brainiac arrives with a Czarian army to grab 'the smartest personin Metropolis ... it isn't Lex or Superman. Brainiac is looking for some missing piece of information. It is all out mayhem in Metropolis involving the entire Superman family. The book ends on a doozy of a last page. 

But if that wasn't enough, there are small and some big nods to Superman history. Let's start with a 'triangle' chapter number on this cover, so reminiscent of the beloved Triangle Era of the Man of Steel. We are reminded this is a Superman family. There's some mysteries solved and mysteries introduced. Supergirl really shines. It's spectacular.

Rafa Sandoval is on art and he picks up right where he left off when he was on the book with Phillip Kennedy Johnson. The character moments are wonderful and fun. The action sequences are bold and loud. Sandoval does a great Supergirl to boot.

So hang on to your boots for some highlights!

Review: Action Comics #514

With House of Brainiac starting this week, I thought I'd dive into the back issue box to cover Action Comics #514, on the racks in September of 1980. 

I will admit that this was a recent purchase out of the bargain bins at my local store which had just about filled a long box with very late Bronze Age Superman. I had been on the lookout both for Brainiac issues and issues from this time period, a sort of hole in my Superman collection.

It doesn't hurt that one of the main plot points of this issue is Brainiac returning  since his 'death' in Superman #338, a book I covered on this site nearly 16 years ago. It is also an issue that has one of the most bad-ass Supergirl moments in history. Readers get a decent tour of the Fortress. 

The book also has a pretty wild ending, one that warrants a little more investigation! First off there is a heavy dose of comic book science. And then a crazy turnabout to close things. Throw in some usual Bronze Age insanity and you get a decent issue. 

Art is by the legendary team of Curt Swan and Frank Chiaramonte. Swan clearly is a master, spinning a Superman story that feels like a Superman story. It doesn't hurt that Swan was the Superman artist for me in the formative years of comic reading.

So settle in for some craziness. On to the book.