What’s DC up to now? DC Comics have revealed their February 2014 slate, with the “final fate of Nightwing”, Forever Evil: Blight and Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane. Plus some pretty groovy advance orders on some statues and other collectibles.
“The final fate of Nightwing”
The term “forever” is bandied around quite freely these days, especially when applied to a limited series and crossover event, even if it isn’t as limited as we first thought (see below). Forever Evil has been dangling the death of Nightwing in front of us for so long that that they are practically telling us that he’s not going to die. In fact, we’ll go so far as to say that the “final fate of Nightwing” teased in Forever Evil #6 is that he settles down with a nice girl, moves out to Coast City and performs acrobatic street theatre for loose change. As implausible as that may be, there’s a pretty good chance that he won’t be going anywhere soon. Indeed, the solo issue of Nightwing #28 simply says “All the sins of the past still haunt Nightwing. How can he make his peace with his old life if Gotham City won’t leave him alone?” Does “all the sins” have a double-meaning, referring to the Trinity of Sin? Or is it all a ruse before we simply see Dick Grayson taking out a bank loan in Nightwing #29? We think the truth is somewhere in between.
Those little blight-ers…
A crossover within a crossover? It’s like the Russian nesting doll of events. Following the introduction of Blight story arc in Justice League #24 this October, sub-crossover “Forever Evil: Blight” continues across Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger #11, Constantine #11, Trinity of Sin: Pandora #8 and Justice League Dark #28. The remain mystics of the world go up against the Crime Syndicate, as Forever Evil stretches into its its sixth month. Project Thaumaton sounds interesting, but there is a singular phrase that has us most intrigued: “an unholy alliance with Aquaman’s evil doppelganger: The Sea King!” Tell us that your fish fingers aren’t trembling in anticipation, you scurvy landlubbers?
Women of the DCU and the men who precede them
We’ve banged on about this already, but DC will release two new 48-page one-shot specials in February 2014, both to be written by Marguerite Bennett.Superman: Lois Lane #1 will be illustrated by Emanuela Lupacchino, while Meghan Hetrick will serve on art duties for Batman: Joker’s Daughter. We salute DC for at least trying to promote more female-led books. Unfortunately, in the cases of the two new titles, the books are still outwardly linked to the men in their life. An interview with Bennett quotes her as saying, “Superman is an aspect of Lois’s story, but in the New 52, so much of what Lois is capable of can be seen in who she is beyond Superman…heroic in her own right, braving a superhuman world on beautifully human terms.” Yet the series isn’t called Lois Lane: Star Reporter or Lois Lane: Independence Day, but rather Superman: Lois Lane. They may as well have gone with the old-school title of Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane. Then again, Joker’s Daughter doesn’t even have a name yet.
“First Contact”: Batman/Superman and Worlds’ Finest Crossover
Following a trip into another Earth in Batman/Superman, the two teams meet in the first crossover between Batman/Superman and the Huntress/Power Girl combo in Worlds’ Finest. “With Power Girl’s abilities on the fritz, see what happens when her long-lost cousin Superman approaches her! And a major threat returns in a way you won’t believe!” It will be interesting to see this crossover, which is so obvious that it makes complete sense. The father/daughter relationship between Batman and his Earth 2 “daughter” could be a curious one, with the sense of loss in Bruce Wayne since Damian’s death being a recurring motif in the comics of the last year.
Gothtopia: where black lipstick is always 50% off
The Gothtopia event continues throughout February, the “bright, shiny, happy place where dreams come true…as long as you don’t look at things too closely.” This month, Detective Comics #28, Birds of Prey #28, Batwing #28 (yes, it’s still going) and Catwoman #28 get the black leather and pancake make-up on. The tagline promises that the “Strange gets stranger”, although we can’t imagine that DC has any gimmicks left at this point. Perhaps Gothtopia is where nothing but 52 Batman books are published on a monthly basis?
