Batman Solicitations - September 2011 ... All New #1's

So, here they are - many of the details have been drip-released over the past couple of weeks or so and here, courtesy of DCs The Source, are the complete Batman solicitations for September 2011.

To be honest, I'm still smarting with the way that my favourite book, written by my favourite writer and staring my favourite character has effectively been cancelled however ... I think it's only fair to give these new offerings a chance.

I'll be advance-ordering most of these first issues and applying my new Game of Thrones policy to them: if the first issues (or episode in the case of Game of Thrones) don't 'wow' me then I won't be picking up the second, third and so on issues. If, a couple of months down the line, people tell me that a title I'd dropped is fantastic I'll pick up the collected edition.

Potential highlights for me include Dick Grayson's return as Nightwing written by Kyle Higgins, Scott Snyder writing Batman, Tony S. Daniel on Detective Comics, the Bruce and Damian Wayne team-up in the pages of Batman and Robin, Batwoman [finally!] from J.H. Williams III and Haden Blackman and Catwoman from writer Judd Winick and artist Guillem March.

DETECTIVE COMICS #1
Written by TONY S. DANIEL
Art by TONY S. DANIEL and RYAN WINN
Cover by TONY S. DANIEL
On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
DC’s flagship title is relaunched for the first time ever, with new Batman adventures from acclaimed writer/ artist Tony S. Daniel!
A killer called The Gotham Ripper is on the loose on Batman’s home turf – leading The Dark Knight on a deadly game of cat and mouse.

NIGHTWING #1
Written by KYLE HIGGINS
Art and cover by EDDY BARROWS and JP MAYER
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Dick Grayson flies high once more as Nightwing in a new series from hot new writer Kyle Higgins (BATMAN: GATES
OF GOTHAM)! And as he embraces his destiny, Haley’s Circus, the big top where Dick once performed, returns to Gotham City – bringing with it murder, mystery and superhuman evil. Nightwing must confront his past, among former friends and enemies from his circus days, while uncovering a much greater evil!

CATWOMAN #1
Written by JUDD WINICK
Art and cover by GUILLEM MARCH
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
Meet Catwoman. She’s addicted to the night. Addicted to shiny objects. Addicted to Batman. Most of all, Catwoman is addicted to danger. She can’t help herself, and the truth is – she doesn’t want to. She’s good at being bad, and very bad at being good. Find out more about what makes Catwoman tick in this new series from writer Judd Winick (BATMAN: UNDER THE HOOD) and artist Guillem March (GOTHAM CITY SIRENS)!

BATMAN AND ROBIN #1
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art and cover by PATRICK GLEASON and MICK GRAY
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Battling evil with his son, Damian, at his side, Batman now realizes that the hardest part of the job may be trying to work together!
As Batman and Robin try to adjust to their new partnership, a figure emerges from Bruce Wayne’s past: His name is NoBody, and he’s not happy that Batman Incorporated is shining a light on his own shadowy war against evil…

BATMAN #1
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art by GREG CAPULLO and JONATHAN GLAPION
Cover by GREG CAPULLO
Variant cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Be here for the start of a new era for The Dark Knight from writer Scott Snyder (AMERICAN VAMPIRE, BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM) and artist Greg Capullo (Spawn)! A series of brutal killings hints at an ancient conspiracy, and Batman learns that Gotham City is deadlier than he knew.

BATWING #1
Written by JUDD WINICK
Art and cover by BEN OLIVER
On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Africa, a land of beauty – and of great horror. A land of creation and conflict. It is in desperate need of a defender, and from the ranks of Batman Incorporated comes a soldier to carry on the legacy of The Dark Knight in the most tumultuous region on Earth. Meet Batwing, the Batman of Africa!

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #1
Written by DAVID FINCH
Art by DAVID FINCH and RICHARD FRIEND
Cover by DAVID FINCH
On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
The Dark Knight struggles against a deadly – yet strangely familiar – foe in this phenomenal debut issue from superstar writer/artist David Finch (BRIGHTEST DAY, ACTION COMICS)!
As a mysterious figure slinks through the halls of Arkham Asylum, Batman must fight his way through a gauntlet of psychos, and Bruce Wayne faces the unexpected legal ramifications of Batman Incorporated!

BATGIRL #1
Written by GAIL SIMONE
Art by ARDIAN SYAF and VICENTE CIFUENTES
Cover by ADAM HUGHES
On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Yes, it’s really happening!
Barbara Gordon is back as Batgirl – and she’s going to have to face the city’s most horrifying new villains as well as the dark secrets from her past. You won’t want to miss this stunning debut issue from fan-favorite BIRDS OF PREY writer Gail Simone!

BATWOMAN #1
Written by J.H. WILLIAMS III and W. HADEN BLACKMAN
Art and cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
At last! Batwoman’s new series begins, from the multiple award-winning creative team of J.H. Williams III and Haden Blackman!
In “Hydrology,” part 1 of 5, Batwoman faces deadly new challenges in her war against Gotham City’s underworld – and new trials in her life as Kate Kane.
Who or what is stealing children from the barrio, and for what vile purpose? Will Kate train her cousin, Bette Kane (a.k.a. Flamebird), as her new sidekick? How will she handle unsettling revelations about her father, Colonel Jacob Kane? And why is a certain government

BIRDS OF PREY #1
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art and cover by JESUS SAIZ
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
One is wanted for a murder she didn’t commit. The other is on the run because she knows too much. They are Dinah Laurel Lance and Ev Crawford – a.k.a. Black Canary and Starling – and together, as Gotham City’s covert ops team, they’re taking down the villains other heroes can’t touch. But now they’ve attracted the attention of a grizzled newspaper reporter who wants to expose them, as well as a creepy, chameleon-like strike team that’s out to kill them.
Don’t miss the start of this hard-hitting new series from mystery novelist/comics writer Duane Swierczynski (Expiration Date, Cable).

RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #1
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
No sooner has Batman’s former sidekick, Jason Todd, put his past as the Red Hood behind him than he finds himself cornered by a pair of modern day outlaws: Green Arrow’s rejected sidekick Arsenal, the damaged soldier of fortune, and the alien Starfire, a former prisoner of intergalactic war who won’t be chained again.
As a loner, Jason has absolutely no interest in this motley crew of outlaws. So what’s he going to do when they choose the Red Hood as their leader? Find out in this hot new series from writer Scott Lobdell (WILDC.A.T.S, Uncanny X-Men), featuring art by rising star Kenneth Rocafort (ACTION COMICS)!


Finally, from September’s Young Justice solicits ...

TEEN TITANS #1
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Tim Drake, Batman’s former sidekick, is back in action when an international organization seeks to capture, kill or co-opt super-powered teenagers.
As Red Robin, he’s going to have to team up with the mysterious and belligerent powerhouse thief known as Wonder Girl and the hyperactive speedster calling himself Kid Flash to stand any chance at all against a living, breathing weapon with roots in another world! They – along with a few other tortured teen heroes – will be the Teen Titans in this new series from writer Scott Lobdell (WILDC.A.T.S, Uncanny X-Men) and artist Brett Booth (JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA)!


Full solicits for all of DC's new #1's can be found at The Source.

For the record, I dropped Game of Thrones after the first episode. Clearly it didn't 'wow' me.

Batgirl #17 Reviewed

As always, my review includes spoilers - if you don't want to know what happens in this issue of Batgirl then stop reading now!

Batgirl #17

Opening in their sumptuous quarters high up in Wayne Tower this latest instalment in Bryan Q. Miller's Batgirl series opens with Alfred Pennyworth entering Damian Wayne's bedroom carrying a hearty breakfast for his young master, drawing back the curtains ... only to discover young Damian hanging upside down from a rope secured to the ceiling.

Although initially startled Pennyworth quickly regains his composure and enquires whether the boy might be wise to spend his evening sleeping rather than exercising - a suggestion immediately batted away with the retort that if his father Bruce Wayne manages with just a couple of hours sleep then so can his son.

Not convinced Pennyworth points out that without adequate rest and nutrition Damian will inevitably find that his growth is "stunted" - and again his words of concern are instantly dismissed by the youngster who, as we know, is more than a little touchy about his age, size and perceived lack of experience.

Moments later, alone in his room, Damian takes a bite from his breakfast, activates his personal audio-recorder and dictates Red Casebook entry number 345 - there is, we learn, hope for Alfred yet in the young boys eyes.

Elsewhere, a sound-asleep Stephanie Brown - Batgirl of course - is in the middle of either a dream or a nightmare before being woken by her mother with breakfast-in-bed. As she realises that she's once again overslept Steph jumps from her bed in a panic, grabs her breakfast and begins to dress for the day ahead: one day into her first real Batman Inc assignment from Bruce we learn and she's already running late.

As her concerned mother wonders out-loud whether her daughter has taken on a little too much Steph looks on startled as she wonders whether her secret identity has been 'outed' ... only for her mother to question whether she's not studying just a little too hard at the moment.

(Minor) crisis averted!

Later that morning, across Gotham City, Damian Wayne - Robin - stands on top of an apartment building apparently spying on a school crossing guard as he, the guard, escorts a group of young children across the road. Turning once again to his voice-recorder Damian observes what he sees as the sadness, the futility, of the children as they spend their young lives travelling to and fro school.

Moments later Damian breaks off from recording his observations as he sees a young girl fall to the ground and notices that the crossing guard appears very concerned that the girl may be falling behind some sort of schedule.

In an instant the STOP sign clatters to the floor as the guard is 'extracted' from the street, and hauled up the side of the apartment building by a rope tied around his ankles, where he comes face to face with Robin: Batman "isn't available" retorts Damian when the crossing guard thanks his good fortune that he's not faced with Batman.

Challenged to explain precisely why he's so concerned with getting the children to school on time the guard maintains that he's simply doing his job but Damian's having none of it and accuses his prisoner of behaving very suspiciously ... as right on cue we hear a sarcastic voice from out of panel. Batgirl - or 'girl blunder' as Damian snaps back.

Demanding to know why Stephanie has interrupted his investigation Damian is more than a little put-out to learn that Steph has her own mission - a mission from "Batman himself. Batman-Batman" she explains - that involves the crossing guard. Steph goes on to say that there have been a series of kidnappings involving school children and she's been tasked with finding out more and it appears that the man currently hanging by his ankles off the side of the apartment building may be a lookout for the kidnap gang.

Later that morning and Batgirl and Robin have, reluctantly I'm sure, teamed-up. Once again taking up their observation point the pair are following the movements of a school bus as Damian questions why the children would have left school so soon after they had arrived - clearly, Steph explains, he's not familiar with the concept of a "field trip" ... the best part, she explains, of going to school is when you get the chance to leave the classroom and learn something about the outside, real, world: a concept that Damian, perhaps surprisingly, seems to appreciate and understand.

Noticing that the children were filing off the bus and into a museum - Gotham Children's Museum - Steph realises that they need to follow them into the building but that in their Batgirl and Robin identities they'd stand out: not to worry though, she has a plan and it will certainly involve Damian!

Cargo shorts, trainers, a loud baseball cap and even louder t-shirt later a humiliated Damian finds himself
in amongst the children who are having fun in the museum. Stephanie - still dressed as Batgirl - on the other hand has broken into the buildings security office and starts scanning the closed-circuit monitors for anything out of the ordinary.

Waiting for instructions Damian discovers that he's made a friend - a young girl called Nell who we first met, I believe, with her mother aboard the runaway train at the start of The Flood story-arc - who urges him to go with her to play. Doesn't she realise that he doesn't 'play'?

Back in the security office Stephanie spots some unusual activity on one of the upper floors of the museum and draws Damians attention - moments later he uncovers a bound and gagged man dressed in just his underwear who he realises is the children's bus driver ... the gang, it seems, aren't just after one child - they're after them all.

Boarded with children and under the control of the kidnappers the bus hurtles along the expressway. As one of the gang closes-in and threatens Damian's "girlfriend" Nell - she doesn't have a lot of luck with public transport does she? - he gets the fright of his life as a blade pierces the roof of the bus and misses him by inches. On the outside of the bus we see Damian and Steph doing what, in many ways, they do best together - bickering with one another.

As bullets from the inside of the bus pierce the roof, narrowly missing them, Batgirl crashes through the glass windscreen, takes out the driver and disarms the gang members as Robin seizes control of the steering wheel and guides the vehicle - and its passengers - to safety.

Minutes later, as we learn that the city authorities have discovered and released the other kidnapped children, Steph and Damian pause to catch their breath while discussing their 'team work'. Not wanting to praise her young friend too much Steph explains to Damian that he's still got one or two things to learn that might be of help out in the field.

What, challenges Damian, could she possibly have to teach him ...




The theme of "The Lesson" continues in this latest issue of Batgirl and I really enjoyed and appreciated that, this time, it was largely Stephanie Brown doing the teaching.

I've written previously about just how much I enjoy the Stephanie Brown/Damian Wayne dynamic - it's fun, funny, cute, touching and always very, very enjoyable. In fact, the duo are so good together one of the great challenges that series writer Bryan Q. Miller must surely face is not overusing them and therefore spoiling the impact of their volatile relationship: thankfully after 17 top-notch issues I don't think there's the slightest risk of that happening - this book is in very good hands.

Prior to picking up the first issue of this current run of Batgirl I'd only a cursory history with Stephanie Brown in her roles as Spoiler and as Robin and as such have so enjoyed learning about and getting to know the latest Batgirl as she, in turn, as learnt about and gotten to know herself. Therefore, for me, Mr Miller is currently writing the definitive Stephanie Brown - her voice, her actions, her emotions ... they all feel so right.

This issue is no exception and, indeed, enforces those feelings. From the moment Steph interrupted Damian on the fire-escape I knew we were in for a good ride but, that said, I don't think I expected the storyline to play out quite as it did. I loved how, by the end of the book, it was Stephanie that was helping Damian understand what it meant to be carefree, to have fun ... to be a child.

Occasionally only when things are farthest away from us can we possibly really see them clearly and I absolutely loved the moment in the museum when Steph, following Damian through the security cameras, realised for the first time that Damian, this 10-year old boy, didn't know how to be a 10-year old boy: to play, to go on a school field trip, to have fun for the sake of having fun. Culminating in the final couple of pages I think this on the face of it small acknowledgement has been one of the highlights of the series so far for me.

As I've already intimated, some of the dialogue in this issue was an absolute treat - "Think, Batgirl -- what would Oracle do", "Batman-Batman ... Not to devalue the other Batman-Batman", "I'm thinking of stabbing you" - the list is endless and I defy anyone not to read this book with a smile on their face. As well as the charming and humorous we're also treated to some very touching dialogue, nonemoreso that when Damian, grasping for a pseudonym to give to Nell, says his name is "Bruce".

While I understand that all of the Bat-books this month have adopted similar formats for their covers I'm not a big fan of this sparse design. Dustin Nguyen's Batgirl illustration is absolutely beautiful - again the sense of fun and enjoyment on Stephanie's face is abundantly clear, the rich, warm colours combine to give her real depth and yet with the stark white background and the empty yellow Bat symbol this cover just didn't satisfy me: the more I've found myself looking at it the more I've felt aware of the empty space.

I was somewhat surprised to see Pere Perez on art duties for this issue - I'd quite forgotten that back in October of last year he'd been solicited to work on this issue - and again, I'm on record saying just how much I enjoy his and colourist Guy Major's work. To my eye Perez draws a younger, slightly less graceful (my way of saying 'clumsy'!) Batgirl than others while, curiously, his Stephanie Brown appears more self-confident, maybe even a little wiser, than we've so far seen throughout this series and I'm enjoying seeing these different sides of her personality. Mr Perez draws a great - albeit brief - chase/fight sequence towards the close of the issue - there was a tremendous sense of movement, speed and chaos in each panel which was captured through some detailed illustration and imaginative page layouts which were complemented by Guy Major's magnificent colouring.

In summary this was a fantastic told-in-one story with character development that I think we'll remember for some time to come. A wonderful collaborative production.

Little boys are, we are reminded, made from "Frogs, Snails & Puppy-Dog Tails" and many of us could easily be charged with ignoring that Damian Wayne is still a little boy. Not Batgirl. Not Stephanie Brown.

Batgirl #17
Written by Bryan Q. Miller, art by Pere Perez, colours by Guy Major, letters by Travis Lanham, cover by Dustin Nguyen
Published by DC Comics, March 2011

Superman/Batman Becomes Supergirl/Robin for Halloween

When I posted some of the October Batman solicitations recently one title that slipped my attention was Superman/Batman: for no reason at all - except for a limited budget perhaps - it's one of the Batman titles that I don't usually pick up.

That'll change for the October issue though after I read an interview that Newsarama's Vaneta Rogers had with writer Joshua Williamson during which he spoke about his story that sees Supergirl and Robin - Damian Wayne - rather than Superman and Batman take the leading roles.

Williamson sets the scene for the unlikely team-up as 'Supergirl sees a horrible crime and goes to get Batman’s help but finds Damian instead. Damian demands that Supergirl let him help, and away we go with a story of unlikely partners trying to catch a killer.'

One of the qualities I've been particularly enjoying in the current series of Batgirl is Bryan Q. Miller's portrayal of young Damian Wayne - 10 years old, knows everything, doesn't take kindly to being given advice ... - and his relationship with Batgirl Stephanie Brown, and I can see potential for a similarly fun storyline and relationship between Damian and Supergirl.

Superman/Batman #77
Written by Josh Williamson with art and cover by Ale Garza
Something evil is haunting Supergirl! But whatever's causing the disturbance is nothing compared to what she's about to run into in Gotham City when she seeks help from the new Robin, Damian. Can these two get along long enough to stop the nightmares plaguing Metropolis? Find out in this special Halloween issue!
Published by DC Comics, 20 October 2010, 32 pages, colour, $2.99