Warner Bros. Games and DC today revealed a new story trailer for Gotham Knights, the upcoming open-world, third-person action RPG in development by Warner Bros. Games Montréal. Debuted at DC FanDome, the video features the game’s main antagonist, the fabled Court of Owls, a secret society made up of Gotham City’s wealthiest families.
The trailer also introduces Oswald Cobblepot (also known as The Penguin), the infamous DC Super-Villain who seemingly knows important details about this omnipresent silent predator and the threat it poses to Gotham and its new guard of DC Super Heroes – Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood and Robin.
As part of DC FanDome, fans were also treated to a behind-the-scenes featurette for Gotham Knights, with commentary from Jim Lee (Comic Book Artist, Publisher & Chief Creative Officer at DC), Scott Snyder (Writer & Co-Creator of “The Court of Owls”), Greg Capullo (Comic Book Artist & Co-Creator of “The Court of Owls”), Patrick Redding (Gotham Knights Creative Director, Warner Bros. Games Montréal) and Ann Lemay (Gotham Knights Narrative Director, Warner Bros. Games Montréal), who all expand on the Courts of Owls origins, lore and inspiration in bringing this elusive enemy to the interactive world of Gotham Knights.
Warner Bros. Games and DC today unleashed a new story trailer for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, the genre-defying, action-adventure third-person shooter in development from Rocksteady Studios, creators of the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham series.
https://youtu.be/J9vFB65-U_c
Debuted at DC FanDome, the brand-new story trailer sheds light on the origins of Amanda Waller’s infamous Task Force X (a.k.a. the Suicide Squad) as Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang and King Shark begrudgingly embark on their mission to take down the World’s Greatest DC Super Heroes, The Justice League.
Featuring an original narrative set within an expansive open-world Metropolis, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League puts the four DC Super-Villains on a collision course with an invading alien force and DC Super Heroes who are now laser-focused on destroying the city they once vowed to protect. All the while, the squad must be mindful of the lethal explosives implanted in their heads that could go off at the first sign of defiance.
“Alter Boi” Frank Simonian @scarletdadspidrAMERICAN VAMPIRE #1 – DC Comics Black Label
Just in time for Halloween, DC Comics released the newest chapter in the American Vampire series. Writer Scott Snyder and artist Rafael Albuquerque return to the series and bring the same energy from the Vertigo line into the Black Label family. DC Black Label made the right choice finding a home for American Vampire 1976, and releasing the first issue in October is on brand.
American Vampire 1976 picks up in the era which shares the title, discoooo is killer. Issue one tracks some returning favorites from the series with some slight changes. For example: we find out what a now mortal Skinner Sweet is up to. VMS is trying to hold itself together while investigating a killer dubbed “The Peeling Man,” and the connection to The Original Evil. Did I mention Travis Kidd?
There are rednecks, explosions, Evel Knievel-esque stunts, secret specie organizations, EVIL, a heist scheme, and DISCO?! The issue ends on a cliffhanger that I will not spoil here, but I encourage fans not to sleep on this next chapter. It will be the death of you. 4.5/5 Unholy Bibles.
-Frank Simonian
“El Sacerdote” J.L. Caraballo Twitter @captzaff007BATMAN #100 – DC Comics
“The Joker War” reaches its inevitable climax in Batman #100, and it’s the end of a massive crossover that once again changes the status quo for the Dark Knight and his family and blah blah blah. The year-long arc — which kicked off when the Joker managed to steal the entire Wayne Enterprises fortune — finds some of the familiar Bat-characters falling back into familiar roles (hello again Oracle!), and the sight of Batman and Joker coming to blows as the Joker wears a Joker-ized version of Batman’s newest suit made for cool visuals, but I couldn’t help but feel that this climax was treading old ground.
That isn’t to taking anything away from writer James Tynion IV, nor artist Jorge Jimenez. They do solid, superb work here, and consistently manage to do so no matter what title they’re working on.
This massive arc seems a bit passe, truth be told: ever since the Death Of The Family, the whole arc with Mer. Bloom, and then Dark Nights: Metal, and now the continuation with Dark Nights: Heavy Metal, the entire Batman mythos seems to have a massive reckoning and restructuring, with the main antagonist tending to be the Joker, or somehow tying to him. Tynion IV, along with Scott Snyder, has continually reinvented the Dark Knight. I just wish that some things would last longer than two to five years before another major makeover. But maybe that’s just me…someone pining for a solid story, maybe a standalone or two- or three-issue deal. In, out, tell a story, and no need to reinvent the wheel for the fifth time this decade.
A solid wrap-up to another major story-arc…that immediately teased yet another major story-arc with the exact same antagonist as its originator. The peace was nice while it lasted. 3.5/5 Bat-Bibles.
-J.L. Caraballo
THE DOOMED AND THE DAMNED #1Rob Deep Maldonado @deep2hb
I was initially reluctant to read yet another annual Halloween story of half-assed collaborations. After reading the line-up and perusing through the art, my interest was piqued. I’m seriously happy I read this and now recommend it. It’s an almost perfect alchemy of DC’s magic, horror, humor, and science. The book delivers some elaborate superhero and even villain team ups. The artists really put in their “A” game with all of their styles.
The weakest part of the book was the Orphan and Orca team-up. Maybe because I’m still upset they can’t give Cassandra Cain her proper, No Man’s Land, Batgirl mantle. Maybe Batmanhattan who laughs will shake things up after Death Metal and we can get the Oracle and Batgirl combo again.
I was already satisfied with the Man Bat & Madame Xanadu, Batman & Sorta Dr. Fate, and Hal Jordan with the Demon team-up. But the book behaves like a Grandma pouring yet another hearty serving with a funny Aquaman & Frankenstein tale, Wonder Woman with Raven, Ras Al Ghul & Solomon Grundy, Supes & Swamp thing, the hilarious combo of Klarion and Beast Boy, Orphan and Orca, and end the Bar Crawl of Vignettes at Hitman’s favorite Bar with Baytor vs Darkseid.
In The Doomed and Damned, Batman stoically handles a job for John Constantine. Travis Moore gets an honorable mention for the entertainingly funny and clean look of Beast Boys to Men. I hope Solomon Grundy story reverberates into Bat Continuity because it was pretty clever. They combine DC’s Magic with Science or Brawn in almost every story. In short, it’s worth every penny as a great read and collection of art. Pick it up. 4.5/5 Bibles.
Chris “Holy Spirit” Sawin @evilbuttersDARK NIGHTS: DEATH METAL #1 – DC Comics
I’m way out of touch with comic books and haven’t read or touched much of anything comic book related in about two years. But I did love Greg Capullo’s and Scott Snyder’s work on their Batman run in The New 52. The Batman Who Laughs is a character that has always intrigued me and Batman: Last Night On Earth was something I had an interest in reading at some point.
Dark Nights: Death Metal #1 is like throwing a pinata full of various different types of feces and candy against a wall and then trying to make sense out of it. There’s some really crazy stuff in there that kinda works, but there’s also stuff in there that makes you feel like the whole point of Dark Nights: Death Metal is to be this amalgamation of truly absurd concepts in this flavorless burrito of nonsense.
Multiple universes have combined in the first issue and the heavy hitters of the Justice League have all been isolated from one another. Wonder Woman runs hell with a nearly powerless Swamp Thing by her side. Most of the major DC villains are behind bars in hell (Riddler, Captain Cold, Eclipso, and The Joker just to name a few). The Batman Who Laughs is in control of everything and has evil Batmen patrolling and ruling the earth.
One of the evil Batmen is a T-Rex in a Batman cowl. It’s a robot with Bruce Wayne’s consciousness that thinks it’s Batman and it’s outrageous and great because of it. The Batman Who Laughs has a ton of recognizable characters at his disposable including Harley and her giant hyenas scouring the wastelands and Aquaman completely in control of some Cthulhu looking character that The Batman Who Laughs refers to as, “Bathomet.”
There was a time when I was completely blown away by Capullo’s work, especially when he was working on Spawn. But again, something doesn’t mesh quite right in the first issue of Dark Nights: Death Metal. Maybe it’s something that will click in later issues. It’s not that Capullo’s linework is bad here, but it fails to have the wow factor that it used to. Or maybe Snyder’s crazy ideas overshadow Capullo’s more grounded approach to the art. Either way, it feels like Snyder’s writing is way too wild and frenetic for its own good.
Yes, there’s a story and it makes sense but it also feels like everything is all over the place just for the sake of trying to piece it all together into something sensible. Ever plunge your dick into a buzzing beehive? Dark Nights: Death Metal #1 is like dealing with the consequences of that without fully revealing what the thought process was of thinking that was a good idea to begin with.
I want to like this series. Capullo and Snyder are more than capable of pulling something like this off and I’m all for turning bonkers material into gold, but Dark Nights: Death Metal mostly feels like an incredibly mediocre episode of Rick and Morty. Batman raises the Goddamn dead as a Black Lantern, and Wonder Woman does something incredible with the Invisible Jet, but you can’t smash everything together and call it the greatest thing ever. I really hope this gets better because right now it is nothing more than a big fat, “Meh.” 2.5/5 Tiny T-Rex Hand-Shaking Bibles.
-Chris Sawin
“Cardinal” Gary BrooksDAREDEVIL #20 – Marvel Comics
God, How I’ve missed reading comics during this quarantine! I’ve however read plenty of Daredevil over the years, and was a huge fan of the Netflix show. So, I had to go back and read the current ongoings with ol’ Matt Murdock. Wow, I’ve really been missing out. Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto have crafted an exceptional run that will could go down as one of the best arcs for the Man Without Fear, coming to a climax in issue 20 and setting up what will surely be an epic in chapter.
Daredevil #20 is part 2 of 2 in the “Inferno” storyline, and pits Daredevil against an onslaught of villains such as Stilt-Man, Bullseye, and Crossbones (just to name a few). As the city he has sworn to protect burns to the ground around him, and no superheroes to lend a hand Daredevil must turn to the people of Hell’s Kitchen, Mayor Wilson Fisk, and Detective North to save the city. And to top it off, did I mention Typhoid Mary has reemerged and seems to be playing hero for the moment? What could possibly go wrong?
As the state of our country spirals out of control, and we face uncertainty everyday, this story feels a lot closer to home than any other time in our lives, and should resonate with fans on a personal level. Despite amazing runs on DD from Frank Miller to Charles Soule, Zdarsky holds his own; he just seems to get to the heart of the Man Without Fear, and really understands what makes Matt Murdock the complex character we have all come to know and love. Checchetto’s beautiful art style was made for this type of story, his anatomy and frenetic storytelling make for some of the best fight scenes I’ve seen on page in a long time. 4.75/5 God Books.
“Bad Preacher” Jason Bud @JasonBudArtistUNDISCOVERED COUNTRY #1 – Image Comics
In 1492 Cristobal Colon spilled Indigenous red into the ocean blue, long after settlers from Eurasia may have traversed the Bering Strait and the Vikings landed here, too… We’re talkin’ ‘bout Old Glory Land, a failing empire, born of another, founded upon the pathologies of genocide, slavery, racism, warfare, and sexism. We’re talking about a nation that has risen and fallen, and will rise and fall even more, one that will seemingly disappear altogether sometime in the near future behind a Great Barrier Wall even more preposterous than Donald Trump’s own cataracted myopia could ever envision. We’re talkin’ ‘bout Image Comics’ Undiscovered Country.
From whence came this pandemic blue virus that now causes the people of the world outside of the United States to seemingly bleed the ocean through their facially orificial membranes??? And why is it that after 30 years of unadulterated silence, a man who appears to be the bastard progeny of Colonel Sanders of the Fried Chicken Bucket fame, named Sam Elgin, suddenly sends electronic transmissions to Planet Earth’s non-American empires, the Alliance Euro-Afrique and the Pan-Asiatic Prosperity Zone, telling of an American vaccine that can be administered unto them to neutralize this virus named Sky??? Is this Sam an Uncle Savior of some kind, or is this merely a more sinister scheme?
Leave it to an assembled team of international specialists (selected from those two non-American empires) to accept this secret mission to discover a NEW New World that may even rival the one the conquistadors of antiquity discovered when they raped and pillaged eastern shores so many centuries ago… and leave to the superstar funnybook squad of the NY Times‘ best-selling Scott Snyder and Charles Soule, smothered words in the wondrous bloods, whites and bruise of premier artists Giuseppe Camuncoli, Daniele Orlandi and Matt Wilson.
Imagine, if you will, a near-mid-21st-Century Americonned desert noasis where all manner of biological transmogrifications and genetic mutations have resulted in new classes of citizens, fauna, and flora, that visually connote interspecies permutations lacking specific scientific classifications, where technologies new and old are hybridized with architectonic structures and motorized vehicles. Have you ever seen Mad Max: Fury Road naked, under the influence of heavy LSD, taking place out in Indio, CA, where tentacled sea creatures are chariot-driving war-class naval vessels through the sand on stealers wheels and wind-trapping parachutes???
I’ve seen this Glory, and there’s no telling what manner of Damnation awaits once this barren Sea of Sand is parted unto it’s burning bleedrock… 4.25/5 Plymouth Crack Rocks.
-Jason Bud
“Reverend” Ryan Ford @nayrdrofX-FORCE #1 – Marvel Comics
Once in a blue moon, or with the help of several Blue Moons, a story comes along that has the makings of an instant classic. X-Force #1 may be that story. Or it may not be. I don’t really know. What I do know is that this tale pissed me off in such a delightful way by reusing an obvious misdirect that has absolutely no clear direction whatsoever. Allow me to elaborate. Imagine, if you will, that Professor X is Franz Ferdinand (the Archduke, not the band), Sarajevo is the mutant sanctuary of Krakoa and 1914 is now. War is coming.
Set on the establishment of Krakoa — an island that might be sentient, might not — we find a colony of mutants living life like any good citizens of the world. They have legitimate status amongst the New Global Order, complete with representation in the United Nations as well as tariffs from the US and China. At least they’re still capitalists. The President and CEO of this operation is Charles Xavier, who walks around – yes, walks – with a modified Cerebro strapped to his face like he’s getting ready for another battle with Speed Racer. Black Tom Cassidy, former bad guy turned head of mutant security, uses his Green Man powers to commune with the aforementioned island, turning it into a living weapon.
Speaking of living weapons, Wolverine and Beast patrol the grounds for any threats that may have slipped past the defenses or be spawned by the island itself. The there’s Jean Grey, the nuclear option. Needless to say, the mutant population here should be well protected. In addition, Healer is present to, well, heal. That feat, however, proves more difficult than it sounds as Kitty Pride and her Marauders keep liberating mutants, often in critical condition like Colossus, from nations not so friendly to mutant-kind. Meanwhile, their covert operative Domino is attending an Eyes Wide Shut party where another genocide is the topic du jour. Simultaneously, and perhaps with a bit of serendipity, another group of presumably human operatives crashes the Krakoa kegger, creating quite the quagmire and killing the king brain during the kerfuffle. Crazy, I know.
Now for the meat and potatoes of my opinion. Professor X has died many times before only to be resurrected in glorious fashion, one way or another. This time though, I ain’t real sure he actually bit the bullet. My thinking is he faked his death, or had his death faked by someone ridiculously powerful like Magneto or Dr. Doom. Why, however, remains to be seen. Perhaps the reformation of the Illuminati is on the horizon? Maybe the Shi’ar or some other alien race have an agenda that requires the Professor to seem dead? What if the Shadow King somehow restrained Charles’ consciousness to the Astral Plane and his body became an empty shell at the moment of assassination? What if none of my crackpot theories are remotely close and he’s just gone? This is exactly why I’m pleasantly perturbed, Mr. Jon Hickman and Ben Percy — I have to wait for more of your answers, and ultimately more of my questions.
Joshua Cassara and Dean White‘s exceptional artwork, color palate, and action in every frame makes it all the more difficult to maintain patience. It must also be noted that the character designs, while influenced by traditional representations, are given a newfound sense of realism that accentuates the plot. Kinda like how new gadgets can take a 60’s-era espionage story and turn int into a modern spy spectacular. Yet, unlike the James Bond franchise, this story is highly dependent upon prior knowledge of past events, making it slightly difficult for a new reader to jump into the fray. It’s a small drawback that is easily rectified with this new thing called “Internet research”. Long story short, this is an enjoyable read that I want answers to now. 4.5/5 Bibles.
Yesterday at San Diego Comic-Con, Image Comics announced that New York Times bestselling writers Scott Snyder (Wytches, AD: After Death) and Charles Soule (Curse Words, The Oracle Year, the forthcoming novel Anyone) will team up with artist Giuseppe Camuncoli (The Amazing Spider-Man, Darth Vader, Hellblazer) for a new comic book series titled Undiscovered Country. The full color, ongoing science fiction/adventure will explore the eerie ripple effects of isolation and is set to launch from Image Comics this November 2019.
The co-writers, Snyder and Soule, took to the stage this afternoon at the Diamond Comic Distributors Retailer Luncheon to tell top tier comic shop retailers about the highly anticipated new project and shared an exclusive San Diego Comic-Con black and white ashcan edition of the Undiscovered Country #1 issue.
“As soon as Charles and I came up with this idea I knew it was special—one of those ideas that turns into big, wild, world-building story. And this series is just that: a twist-filled trek across a landscape that’s alien, mysterious, and full of adventure,” said Snyder. “It’s like Land of the Lost meets Lewis and Clark, with a team of characters we’ve already come to love as family. Speaking of teams, I’m honored and thrilled to be working with this group of creative folks. Cammo not only brings the world of Undiscovered Country to life but elevates every element—whether we’re talking the giant terrestrial fish monsters of the coast or lurking techno-zombies of the northwest… Bottom line, Undiscovered Country is a blast to work on and we’re convinced it’ll be a blast to read. Can’t wait for you guys to see it in full!”
Soule added: “I can’t believe this is my job. Working with Scott, Cammo and the rest of the team—all stars every one—is a dream on a creative level. We’ve got ourselves a hell of a high concept here, and fleshing it out together—filling our sealed-off US with beautiful, insane adventures—has been one of the great thrills of my career. It’s been wonderful to make Undiscovered Country with my friends, and I think it’ll be just as fun to read.”
In Undiscovered Country, readers will journey into an unknown region that was once the United States of America—a land that’s become shrouded in mystery and literally walled-off from the rest of the world for decades. A small expedition enters the former US in search of a cure to a humanity-ending pandemic. They travel inward and learn the secrets of what America has become; each member seeking their own form of truth in the undiscovered country.
Camuncoli said: “When two of your favorite writers, whom you’ve previously and brilliantly already worked with, ask you to team up for a new book, you get what I call a ‘no brainer’. It took me a second to say yes, I didn’t even really need to know what the story was about because I already knew it couldn’t have been less than stellar. And of course it is stellar, and then some.
“From the concept to the cast, to the world-building—everything in this book is terrific, and so is the team we have assembled to make it happen. So, enter my Darth Vader partner in crime Daniele Orlandini, the maestro of nuances Matt Wilson and the super letterer Crank! and then you end up feeling like playing in a superband, like Temple Of The Dog, or Them Crooked Vultures. These guys really make me feel like it’s easy to tell a story that is larger than life, and if it’s like that it’s also because, guiding us all from above, editor supreme Will Dennis never misses! Will hired me for my first Hellblazer story, back in 2001, and it feels fantastic to have him on my side again after all these years.
“So, long story short, we’re all giving Undiscovered Country our all, and we hope it’ll show. Please check it out and let us know how you like it, because we sure as hell do, and there’s nothing better than doing the comics that you like!”
“Cardinal” Roberto de Bexar @RobBex2BATMAN: LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH #1 – DC Black Label
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo were tasked with bringing Batman into the New 52 and have become synonymous with the Caped Crusader. When you think of the great Batman creative duos, it’s not so strange to place Snyder and Capullo up there now with the likes of Neal Adams and Dennis O’Neil. While Tom King has been tearing up the Batman series, people have been clamoring for more Snyder/Capullo behind the cowl; we’re finally treated to the return with Batman: Last Knight On Earth under the DC Black Label and to no disappointment. The beautiful thing about Snyder is that he, much like Jason Aaron on Thor, connects every volume and every issue that he writes. There are no throwaway lines.
With Batman: LKOE, we see Batman awake in Arkham in a future that he doesn’t realize. This is a Batman who *SPOILERS* learns he is one of the clones that Batman: Prime has created after he has passed. The Justice League is all but dead, humanity is all but wiped out, and even Wonder Woman can’t do anything but take what’s left of the JL and humanity into hell itself to protect them from the horrors on the surface –- the horrors that were created out of Gotham and possibly Batman himself.
The only two people that can figure out and save the world are Batman and a Joker head inside a lantern. The ‘next issue’ page showed a Scarecrow that has been merged with Bane, so that should be interesting as hell to see what happens there.
Thus far, Last Knight is an amazing read and the story and art are superb. Snyder and Capullo fire on all cylinders and it’s a “grab you by the shirt and never let go” type of story and that is always a fantastic combination. Go out and grab you a copy. 4.5/5 Black Labeled Bibles.
-Robert Bexar
“Minister” Matthew GarzaDOG DAYS OF SUMMER #1 – DC Comics
DC comics kicks off this summer with this anthology one-shot featuring some of DC’s best characters, both known and obscure. Despite that commonality, the tone of each story varies from highly fantastic and comedic to introspective and reflective. The story showcases DC’s wide variety with a laid-back look into various characters without being too serious.
Writers such as Kenny Porter, Joshua Williamson, Dan Didio, and G. Willow Wilson — just to name a few — bring this book together, and like most anthologies, there are stronger and weaker stories told. Williamson’s Killer Croc gave me a glimpse on his regrets living the life of a criminal, while Wilson’s Ferdinand story was very funny and straightforward.
They all are very “slice of life,” so if you’re not into whichever of these eight stories you’re on, chances are you’ll find yourself invested in the next. Personally, I felt the Killer Croc story was the height of this anthology, with Croc on a journey to help an old friend. There was a story about Batcow which, to me, was the weakest link yet still made me chuckle quite a bit. Not everyone will walk away from this with the same favorite and least favorite stories, and that’s what makes this one-shot exciting.
These kinds of collections are somewhat rare and not released as often as in the mainline comics. As enjoyable as this one was, I’d say it’s too fun and, at times, too ridiculous to pass up. 3.5/5 Batcows.
-Matt Garza
**BONUS REVIEW**
Jimmy “Apostolic” Cupp @thejimmycuppSHE SAID DESTROY #1
It’s an age old story. War between the gods. This time, we have only two goddesses left in the entire universe! Brigid (Goddess of the Sun) and the Morrigan (Goddess of Death). We don’t learn much in the premier comic, except Brigid has a crazy space army, while Morrigan has a crazy fairy, witch army.
Normally, I would be all about this, but that is literally the entire story! Joe Corallo introduces a couple other characters, but there is no depth or back story to anything. I can’t say I was a huge fan of the art or color choices, either. Liana Kangas‘s line work, while beautiful, was a bit too simple for me, while Rebecca Nalty‘s love for the pinks and purples became a bit jarring after the first few pages.
I love a good, strong female-driven story, but I feel I can predict the next 10 issues from the very little I was given. Hopefully, it surprises us with the next installment. 2.5/5.
