Computer issues coupled with the late release of the new release list from my local comic shop means this week's Previews comes a bit later than usual. But, fear not, it is here, and it's a big week. It's the start of the return of Bruce Wayne this week, with four of this month's eight Bruce Wayne — The Road Home one-shots as well as the penultimate issue of Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne. And that's not all. We've also got the start of a few miniseries of interest, the super-awesome second G-Man collection, and new newest issue of the always-excellent The Unwritten. Read on and take a look.
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #5
- Written by Grant Morrison
- Art by Ryan Sook
- Cover by Andy Kubert
Grant Morrison is joined by all-star artist Ryan Sook in the penultimate issue of THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE! In this story, Bruce Wayne finds himself in the hard-boiled streets of Gotham City's past. Will his adventure as a private investigator help him take one step closer to the present day?
This series has been very hit-and-miss, with no issue matching the excellence of the first one. The last issue was severely hampered by having very little of Bruce Wayne. This one shouldn't have that problem, but we'll see if Grant Morrison can give us more than just a throwaway “Batman as (fill-in-the-blank)” story and get back to the meat we saw in earlier issues.
Bruce Wayne — The Road Home: Batgirl
- Written by Bryan Q. Miller
- Art by Pere Perez
- Cover by Shane Davis
Batgirl no more? Is Stephanie Brown's brief tenure as Batgirl in jeopardy now that Bruce Wayne has returned? Or will Bruce's homecoming mean bigger and better things for Gotham City's premier heroine?
The first of the eight one-shots showing how Bruce Wayne's return effects his friends and enemies come out this week. I haven't been reading Batgirl (it's on the short list of books I'd like to pick up, though), but I did enjoy the crossover issue with Red Robin, and I've been interested in Stephanie Brown's character, so I'll have to think about picking this one up.
Bruce Wayne — The Road Home: Batman & Robin
- Written by Fabian Nicieza
- Art by Cliff Richards
- Cover by Shane Davis
BRUCE WAYNE – THE ROAD HOME kicks off here as Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne rush to quash a damaging news item that could threaten the secret identities of the entire Bat-family! And as if that weren't enough to occupy their time, their father figure, Bruce Wayne, has returned…
Batman & Robin is another book I'd like to pick up that hasn't quite made it onto the pull list. With this one being written by Fabian Nicieza — who's done an amazing job on Red Robin — and who writes Damienvery well in that book — I'll probably be grabbing this.
Bruce Wayne — The Road Home: Outsiders
- Written by Mike Barr
- Cover by Shane Davis
Bruce Wayne's former team of heroes star in this issue penned by longtime OUTSIDERS writer Mike Barr. How will everybody react to the return of their former leader? Featuring Black Lightning, Owlman, Metamorpho and more!
I know nothing of the Outsiders and have no idea who is doing the art for this issue, so unless I hear this is the best comic ever made I'm passing on this. I include it here mainly for completeness.
Bruce Wayne — The Road Home: Red Robin
- Written by Fabian Nicieza
- Art by Ramon Bachs & John Lucas
- Cover by Shane Davis
Master detective Tim Drake takes center stage in this one-shot as the one person who continued to have faith that Bruce Wayne was alive. But now that Tim's belief is proven accurate, how will that affect the important changes about to bombard the life of Red Robin?
If I don't pick this up, can I really be considered a Red Robin fan? It's written by Fabian Nicieza who, like I said above, has been doing a marvelous job on that book. So, yeah, I don't see how I can pass this over.
G-Man, vol. 2: Cape Crisis (TPB)
- Written by Chris Giarrusso
- Art & Cover by Chris Giarrusso
When pieces of G-Man’s magic cape fall into the wrong hands, things quickly spin out of control. G-Man and his friends must battle to recover the cape fragments, but this time the bad guys have the same powers as G-Man!
Collects G-MAN: CAPE CRISIS #1-5
I'd probably pick up anything that Chris Giarrusso does. I already bought this in single issues, but I'll probably get this so my kids can read it. Because they are not touching those (signed!) single issues.
Knight & Squire #1
- Written by Paul Cornell
- Art by Jimmy Broxton
- Cover by Yanick Paquette
Just as Gotham City has Batman and Robin, London has Knight and Squire – the British heroes and frequent allies of The Dark Knight! In a secret bar within the city where peace is kept magically, heroes and villains gather to enjoy a pint and talk about their day. But what happens when the magical barriers that disallow fighting are dropped and a building full of heroes and villains confront each other all at once? Knight and Squire have to keep the peace and save both friend and foe in this 6-issue miniseries from hot writer Paul Cornell (ACTION COMICS, Captain Britain and MI:13) and up-and-coming artist Jimmy Broxton (THE UNWRITTEN).
I saw a preview of this a month or two back, and without that I probably wouldn't have considered this. I've only seen Knight and Squire in Battle for the Cowl, so I know little of them and have no ties to the characters, whatsoever. But, the preview has me intrigued. Paul Cornell plans on keeping this very British and will even have a glossary page at the end to explain some of the idioms and expressions that will make no sense to an American audience. It has to compete with a ton (or should I say tonne?) of Bat-books that will stretch my budget to the max this month, but there's still a good chance I'll pick this up. (The fact that it's a six-issue miniseries helps, too.)
Spike #1
- Written by Brian Lynch
- Art & Cover by Franco Urru
No Bad too big in this all-new monthly series! The fan-favorite Angel team of Brian Lynch and artist Franco Urru are back! And this time, it’s all about Spike. He’s out on his own, away from Angel’s watchful eye, and in charge of his own destiny. Lover, fighter, vampire with a soul, he’s kick-starting his biggest adventure yet. Damsels, prepare to be saved and wooed! Forces of evil, get ready to be destroyed and mocked! Featuring guest-appearances by Angel, Illyria, and a face from the past seeking to destroy his future!
I never ended up getting Spike: The Devil You Know — though I still may — but I may get this. It's supposed to bridge the gap between the Angel and Buffy books, or so I hear. So it may be worth picking up for that. Plus, it's a limited series (eight issues), so it's not a huge commitment.
Tiny Titans/Little Archie #1
- Written by Art Baltazar and Franco
- Art & Cover by Art Baltazar
Did you know that Sidekick City and Riverdale share the same downtown area? Did you know they also share the same school buses, playgrounds and dry cleaners? Well, the Tiny Titans and Little Archie's gang didn't know, either! What would happen if suddenly their two worlds collided? Would Archie and his pals start wearing costumes? Would the Titans start wearing sweater sets? Talk about your crossover crisis! Join us for this historical event, as two of the most awesome 2-D teams ever meet for the first time! Aw yeah, Archie Titans!
I used to think Tiny Titans was only mildly amusing. Now that I know the characters better (from watching the animated series and from reading some of DC's more recent event books), I quite enjoy it. I'm not sure what, exactly, that says about the book. I know very little of Archie (and what I do know I don't like much), so there's little incentive to get this because of that. I mostly mention this here because it looks so cute, and the idea of the Titans wearing sweater sets is priceless.
The Unwritten #18
- Written by Mike Carey
- Art by Peter Gross
- Cover by Yuko Shimizu
Don't miss this tale of power plays and double-bluffs that takes readers into the inner council of Tom's enemies. Uncover their dark past and violent present. Wilson Taylor is dead, but how did the 14th book get hijacked? Why is Tom still alive? And whose head is going to roll for it?
This is one of, if not the, best comics I read. Every issue is excellent, and I don't expect this to be any different.
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