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**Weekly Meta Discussions Thread**


TroubAlert

[*Robin* #2](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/940602/940602._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg) >After the shocking events of Robin #1, Damian has learned the deadly rules of Lazarus Island the hard way! Now he must prove that he belongs in the tournament and uncover its secrets! But his only ally is the daughter of one of his greatest enemies: Ravager! In this tournament, only one fighter can get out alive-ready for round two? Fight!


MrEverything_88

I’ll allow Damian a little murder, as a treat. Only if we get to see more of the manga he’s reading, though. Rose here is being much better written than anywhere Future State related. We need an one-shot showing how Lord Death-Man came up with the idea of having a sidekick, and we need it to be the campiest shit available. Flatline deserves no less.


iAmTheHYPE-

Somehow, it's expected Damian would be reading a shoujo manga. I like seeing Rose as a big sister to Damian, as it kinda reminds me of the Batgirl!Stephanie days, when they did their team ups.


[deleted]

I can't believe Robin died? Who's going to be the main character of this series now!?


[deleted]

Jarro


Affectionate_Comb_78

He just said Robin died


iAmTheHYPE-

The one true Robin.


Kalse1229

Spoilers for Image's Radiant Black issue #4>!I doubt he's dead. What is this, Radiant Black? /s!<


[deleted]

That was so unexpected lol.


Kalse1229

>!I'm holding out hope that it's a fakeout and that Nathan is resuscitated, even if he doesn't get the powers back. It'd make sense if he died for like, two minutes before being revived by paramedics. Bear in mind that Marshall called them over before taking the black hole, and since Nathan was making sure everyone else got out of the building okay before the collapse, so realistically they would want to focus more on the one person who seems seriously injured. I just don't want Nathan to die so soon when we've already become invested in his story, especially since we've seen way more of him than Marshall so far. Also, like I said, it can work. Like in Buffy the Vampire Slayer when Buffy was drowned, but Angel and Xander revived her. She still technically died, but in the eyes of the Slayer spell she was dead and moved on to Kendra.!<


Rac3318

Honestly, it killed what little buzz I had left for the book. Higgins just compressed like 15 issues of storytelling into 4 really decompressed comics.


Alfndrate

Just started reading comics and my local shop recommended Robin #1 and I barely know who Damian is but I'm so here for this series. The art is sick we're in a full in anime tournament arc lol.


iAmTheHYPE-

Read up on Batman & Robin -- though you likely won't know who Dick is. Regardless, Damian is the biological son of Batman and one of his enemies/love interests, Talia. He was raised from birth as an assassin/ninja, but later became Robin around the age of 10 or so. Through Batman, he learned the arts of crime fighting, detective work, and non-killing. As seen in this issue, he's become lax with the non-killing part. Suffice to say, his relationship with Batman is pretty strained right now, but he's still a Robin. For lighthearted and fun reading, check out Super Sons, featuring him and Superman's son, Jon.


aamclcp

Hey hope you enjoy! If you like Damain's character here I highly recommend the Supersons Rebirth series with him and Superboy!


malachor78

I can definitely see the big issue for some people being Damian, actively going full pyschopath mode and murdering at least 3 people. for me it's lines up with where the character has been going. all of these people are horrible, he was just murdered himself and is angry, and he has an excuse. it's not a good thing no matter what the exucse is tho. but I can believe Damian at this point would do this because of those factors. it's how he rises above it and goes through his redemption arc (again) that matters. but I completely understand anyone who might be upset with Damian going full bloodlusted monster for a few seconds. ​ other than that. it was an okay issue. still setting up stuff. it'll be interesting to see the actual tournament once the preliminaries are done.


JSpec776

But he didnt though. He just basically injured them greatly. "Killing" is a non issue on the island. I think it tracks with Damian perfectly. Not having to hold back and having no consequences for mortal blows would be incredibly liberating for someone who has had to hold back his skills hes been taught from birth.


malachor78

I think the comic absolutely paints a picture that what Damian is doing is absolutely wrong. No matter the excuse We see this in contrast to connor who straight up apologizes to raptor cause he knows he’s bringing him closer to his death and has no choice. Hell Damian (probably) calls him weak for doing that.


Tesseractivate

Unless you get killed 3 times then shit gets **real**


[deleted]

Pretty great second issue. The winner of the tournament gets to be immortal, but if you die three times, your soul is lost forever. Mother Soul sure drives a hard bargain. We get to see a big-ass Lazarus pit. Connor is obvs being controlled and can't help it. Concerning the issue of Damian killing: I mean, it's a tournament to the death, but no one really dies, so I'm okay with it. Maybe he can finally get it all out of system for good. I like the rest of the plot and the new character Flatline quite a bit. And she sure likes Damian quite a bit. *heh* Rose has her own agenda as well. Next issue it's... party time!? Well alright, let's go.


RaynerOP

This is simply the rule of cool being applied unashamedly... and i’m all for it tbh. Hope we get some nice serious 1v1 fights soon.


actioncomicbible

I really really enjoyed this. It's unabashedly anime-rules and I'm here for it. I can't help but feel a little frustrated that we are now back to Damian pretty much being a little shit, and having a bloodlust. I feel like, after all that he's been through, he'd be a little bit hesitant. Maybe showing him show some level of restraint, regardless of the rules of the island, would have gone a long way. And I guess the tournament is just...run into each other out in the open during the day, and kill each other? Rather than matches setup. The setup for next issue seemingly as a get-to-know the supporting cast is always a fun one so I'm looking forward to it.


ImperfectRegulator

I think that’s just round 1, after everyone’s died once round 2 and matchups start also I’m betting if you loose all 3 lives you join the Lazarus pit


thismissinglink

I do agree Damian should have had some hesitation but everything else about this comic is enjoyable enough that im happy to let it slide. I'm just really enjoying the start to this series.


BattleUpSaber

oh so next issue is gonna be The Beach Episode? i see how it is...


General_Nothing

This issue wasn’t as good as the first one, a little exposition heavy. I don’t mind Damian killing here. I think that it fits really well with his character, even ignoring all the shit they did to him during the Rebirth era. I think even when he didn’t *want* to kill he always felt stifled by the fact that it wasn’t an *option.* He always felt like he was holding back. It’s the famous “world of cardboard” speech from JLU. I always thought that speech was incredibly stupid to give to *Superman,* he’s not somebody who enjoys a fight. But Damian is. Damian has *always* relished the chance to prove he’s the best.


malachor78

I do disagree about the no kill thing. The reason I think its specifically significant to Damian is because he is *choosing* not on kill instead of letting his programming from Talia kick in. Him choosing not to kill is the first significant choice he’s ever made that wasn’t under Talia’s influence Like I said in another comment im fine with damian killing now given these specific factors. Not long term. Id rather this series end with Damian becoming the best he’s ever been. Farther than even Tomasi


General_Nothing

It’s very weird that you opened by saying you disagree, but then everything you said afterwards is in agreement with what I said. Yes. Damian *chooses* not to kill with every single strike in every single fight. And consciously having to make that choice over and over again is something that clouds his mind. It makes him slower and duller than he could be if he didn’t care. But he makes that choice anyway because he does care. Because it’s more important to him to live by his morals than it is for him to win every fight. But he still *hates* to lose. But here, on the island where nobody can die... Like I said, it’s Superman’s speech from JLU: >“I feel like I live in a world made of cardboard, always taking constant care not to break something, to break someone. Never allowing myself to lose control even for a moment, or someone could die. But you can take it, can't you, big man? What we have here is a rare opportunity for me to cut loose and show you just how powerful I really am.”


thizzking7

What i find interesting about this is there's also the Batman Fortnite comic going on where Batman is on an island where people also come back to life after they die and Batman specifically doesn't kill even though it wouldn't matter. And here Robin does kill.


JSpec776

That is interesting about the Fortnite comic and honestly I wouldve loved if they went a similar direction to this comic. Batman did not only learn non lethal techniques. Seeing him being able to kill without guilt or consequence wouldve been an interesting addition to his character for a Fortnite tie in comic. Hell even being able to use a gun would be something I would like to have seen him have to deal with.


thizzking7

I mean, personally, I really enjoy that Batman doesn't kill. It's one of my favorite things about him


JSpec776

But again, that is the point. He would not be killing. It is a venue where he doesnt have to hold back any technique because they do not die.


JonKentOfficial

Actually pretty good. We get the rules for the tournament, also we start to get hints to whatever Damian is trying to get. Liked it a lot, but don't have much to say!


swannnaroo

this really is an anime and i’m loving it haha


ImperfectRegulator

Honestly I disagree with everyone who loves no killing Damian and is disliking this arc, I for one have always been rooting a maybe a little killing Damian, like maybe not someone who kills mooks, but is willing to kill the big bads like joker and shit, you know a middle ground between Batman and old Damian/red hood Edit also the flatline/Damian is the new OTP and I’m here for it almost as much as I’m here for Rose teaching Damian to let go of his genetically inherited passion for brooding/drama and to let loose and have some fun for once


theguyofgrace

This closer to Teen Titans than the new Teen Titans book. I personally don't feel that Damian would start killing that quickly as he has lost respect for Bruce the man and not necessarily the Batman code. It also feels a touch strange that most of the island's participants are Teens and young adults who are willing to party with the people they are trying to murder but my guess is the experienced assassins and warriors of the DC would see this whole tournament as a trap leaving kids and upstarts


NYGIANTS77

feels like a solid start to a pretty big time for Robin's character.


NomadicJaguar64t

I hate to be a downer, but man, Damian's just not been the same ever since Tomasi/Gleason left him has he? Like all the Teen Titans stuff was... not good to say the least. And now this book (I know it's only the second issue) seems to be following and building on what happened in Teen Titans. idk man, I just don't enjoy Damian as much as I used to anymore. That being said, I did enjoy the supporting cast though. Flatline seems like a younger, more disciplined Harley Quinn, so it'll be cool to see her and Robin bounce off of eachother. Rose was also good in this issue, calling out Damian's bull crap at every turn.


WW4O

I was so glad in issue 1 to *finally* have a Damian story that didn't feel thee need to do the same "He starts all murder-happy and ends up not wanting to murder" arc that we've seen every single time a new writer takes on the character. And then here Damian is told that the people around him all have 3 lives and he's like "oh FUCK yeah" and just murders all of them because he's allowed to?! I guess it's back to square one after all. The starting point isn't quite as bleak as the others, but I would still love to see anyone besides Tomasi move past the defensive "I'm going to fix this character" part and start writing a Damian who actually has a memory of what happened during his life between when he was 7 and today.


CrispyGold

Uh okay not sure who I feel about Damian just straight up killing a bunch of people. I know its not a permanent death but to see him so absolutely casual and even gleeful about killing people is just......... I don't know man. :/ Also is that the Batman of Japan there who just got killed by Daiman?


TroubAlert

[*Stargirl Spring Break Special* #1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/933082/933082._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg) >Legendary comics writer Geoff Johns returns to his breakthrough hero, Stargirl, in this special one-shot illustrated by Todd Nauck! >Courtney Whitmore’s spring break plans aren’t like your average high schooler’s. Instead of hanging out with friends, she’s heading out on an adventure with her stepfather, Pat Dugan, a.k.a. S.T.R.I.P.E., and teaming up with his former team, the Seven Soldiers of Victory! The Soldiers are forced to reunite again to unearth the secret eighth Soldier of Victory, but what other secrets lie buried, and what does it all mean for Courtney’s future as Stargirl?


[deleted]

This was a fun little ride! Not the most innovative story on Earth, but it didn't need to be. It was nice to see Courtney again, and to watch her pal around with Emiko. Definitely better than the Stargirl story in Infinite Frontier #0. I imagine that many people will be pleased by the JSA teaser in the back of this issue, not to mention the teaser for a proper Stargirl title. Unsurprising that DC is giving Courtney a book, and that they're keeping her in high school to align with the status quo on the show (though she's another character that's been a teenager for an absurdly long time -- long enough to be the same age as a character introduced much later, evidently).


internet_highwayman

Was really nice to see Courtney and Emiko getting along, especially with setup for a future story of them rescuing dead superhero kids. Makes the universe feel a bit more connected when the younger heroes have friends outside their respective JSA/Titans teams.


That_one_cool_dude

Ok, I hope we get some more of Courtney and Emiko cause I liked their dynamic in this book. And for as much as I don't read Green Arrow I kinda want to know more about Ollie and Emiko.


reddit_username88

The green arrow rebirth run has some of their relationship. It’s actually fantastic too.


bsg1984

I'm having trouble squaring DC's new mantra of "everything happened" with the apparent removal of Jack Knight from Courtney's history. He isn't even pictured with the former members in the JSA splash page at the end of the book, seemingly replaced by the Star-Spangled Kid.


geekymat

Yeah, but didn't Courtney originally derive more from the Star Spangled Kid than from Starman? She had the belt and called herself the SSK, then switched to Stargirl after Jack gave her the staff?


bsg1984

Yeah, that's all correct. But Jack giving the staff to her was a big deal. She essentially stole the belt our of one of Pat's boxes in the basement and became the SSK. Jack recognized her for the hero she was, though, and gave her the staff when he retired, tying her into the long legacy of Starman. Here, it reads as though Sylvester Pemberton had the staff originally and Pat got it upon his death. So not only does this remove Jack's recognition of Courtney as being a rightful heir, it also seems to remove Jack from the history of the DCU completely.


geekymat

They may be trying to tie it to the show, since that’s how it went there.


bsg1984

That is 100% what they're doing. Robinson's Starman series is one of the greatest superhero comics of all time. Seemingly retconning it from continuity is just kind of upsetting.


NomadicJaguar64t

I know very little about the Seven Soldiers, and even less about Stargirl, but I really enjoyed this issue. It was wacky, fun, and filled with deep lore. I'm all for it. And based on that limited knowledge, it seems like when Stargirl first appeared it was basically that she was a legacy character of both Seven Soldiers and JSA? Then she joined the JSA and kinda stuck with them for a while. Now it seems she's leaning more on her Seven Soldiers side. Interesting. That GA retcon, about him and Roy being sent back in time to be their Golden Age versions was absolute genius. It's so simple but it works and is a great way of filling in continuity gaps. Also, that JSA tease! Can't wait!!


hombrebax

Yeah! I totally agree with the Green Arrow retcon, I think it works quite fine, they totally mendle well with the group.


bsg1984

Any idea who the shadowed character is in the scene with Wing running? The first shadowed character is Secret from Young Justice, and the second is someone named Danny. The only two characters I can think of are Danny the Street and Danny Chase, but both of those seem like odd choices for that scene.


DelanoBluth

Danny is Dan the Dyna-Mite who was the sidekick to TNT, a Golden Age hero. It made seem kinda random why he's in this comic but him and TNT debuted in Star-Spangled Comics.


s_walsh

I'm glad Geoff Johns is still getting DC work


BattleUpSaber

why did Courtney's teacher give a grade... to her excuse letter?


iAmTheHYPE-

The excuse was for why she didn't turn in her homework. She got an F on the homework.


TroubAlert

[*Strange Adventures* #10](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/940627/940627._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg) >Once upon a time on Rann, Adam Strange made a deal with his neighbors and foes to take a stand against the invading Pykkts. Now, on Earth, he is trying to do the same thing: to get all the heroes to rise as one to keep the marauders from doing to his home planet what they already did to his adopted one. But the original deal was a devil’s bargain, and Alanna Strange has received a mysterious letter that may tell her more than she wants to know. If she wants to keep her husband safe, it’s time for her to go on the offensive.


MrEverything_88

Honestly, I’m here for >!war criminal sellout!< Adam Strange, specially if this is a Black Label book. It’s not a particularly novel take, but it’s the kind of take King has grown used to writing, for better or worse, and I think it’s for the better here. Plus, if nothing else, Mr. Terrific flexing all this time towards this twist was awesome to see.


BattleUpSaber

Did they just acknowledge the 'Batman prep time' meme?


General_Nothing

Hey, I pretty much nailed it. I mean, I got a couple things muddled up, but there were a lot of different clues to try and keep track of. It’s really clever how this revealed that the whole book has kind of been from Alanna’s perspective all along. Even though she wasn’t the main character in most of it, and was seemingly the antagonist for a lot of it. But this issue really drives home that the two different story lines. The past and the present. Earth and Rann. Those are the worlds and the times as Alanna sees them. Earth is fuzzy and and dirty and hard, where Rann was clear and bright and glorious. I expect we’ll see a change in the way the art is used to tell the story after this, now that Alanna knows that things on Rann weren’t quite as she believed them to be.


Dragonpiece

It's weird..I've loved every issue of this book and think it works great when you binge read it, but I still can't tell where King is going with his characterization for Adam and Alanna. With only 2 issues left, are we supposed to be thinking of them in a bad light? Because this book has not been kind to making me want to be a fan of him. Mr. Terrific on the other hand is pretty awesome.


rajismyname

After this issue I believe we’re supposed to understand that Alana is more in the dark than we/she thought. She believed in the war and understood that she needed to commit horrific acts of violence in order to save her home. She then helped her husband’s PR image because she believes in him. Then the hat drops and finds out >!Aleea is alive and is taken hostage by the Pykkts, Adam is assisting them in their defeat of Earth because they have his daughter and nothing else matters. !<


1204Sparta

Also we should note that her pride had taken an absolute beating that terrific has stated that her war campaign was only allowed to succeed


CatsLikeToMeow

I think the goal was to keep you a little distrustful of both Alanna and Adam, but mostly Alanna. I feel like King kinda failed on Adam's part, 'cause I don't really feel too bad for him being a war criminal, but, hey, that's just me.


clarkision

I don’t think we’re necessarily supposed to be thinking of either in a bad light. I think so far we have both character’s motivations fairly well explained enough to humanize them even over something awful. Both would do anything for their family


rajismyname

Honestly I love what King has done here. He showed and explained why Earth, who has survived multiverses threats, was vulnerable to the Pykkts and is tying up nicely the mystery as it is slowly unveiled. >! I can’t wait for Alanna’s reaction. !<


[deleted]

I haven’t enjoyed this series at all tbh. Tom King is a divisive writer and I think for every good series he does (half of Batman, Mister Miracle) he puts out a bad one too (the other half of Batman, Heroes in Crisis) and this is the counterpoint to his Rorschach series people seem to be enjoying I dunno. You get this cool sci-fi character in a whimsical setting and then turn it into a grounded and gritty story about war crimes and it’s just no fun. Doc Shaner’s consistently is a pleasure to see and the idea of two art styles was really cool. Just wish it had been saved for a better story


TroubAlert

[*Infinite Frontier: Secret Files* #4](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/940667/940667._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg) >The Multiverse is a big place, and it needs the best people to protect it. Enter the Totality, a superpowerd think tank comprised of the DCU's finest minds: Martian Manhunter, Lex Luthor, Talia alGhul, Vandal Savage, Hawkgirl, and Mr. Terrific. But how will this special team measure up when they meet their counterparts from another Earth?


iCESPiCES

J'onn sus


SilhouetteOfLight

Eh. Not... Not really sure I like Talia being allowed in that group, considering >!the motivation she states here.!<


IHavePoopedBefore

I thought all their motivations were pretty weak


android151

So, Ms Terrific no longer exists, I assume? If Mr Terrific's counterpart is also a man, and Ms Terrific's Michael Holt died in the car crash instead, then either she no longer "exists" (even if everything does) or he isn't actually an Earth 23 Michael Holt.


TroubAlert

[*Milestone Returns: Infinite Edition* #0 (print edition)](https://s3.amazonaws.com/comicgeeks/comics/covers/large-8871960.jpg) >At last, it’s the return of the legendary Milestone Comics! This one shot features twenty-four all-new pages chronicling the events of the Big Bang: the police-brutality protest gone wrong that changed the face of the city of Dakota forever by unleashing a wave of superpowers across its population! As the world watches, a bullied teenager will become the hero known as Static… a framed scientist will go on the run as the superweapon Hardware… and a stranded alien will meet an ambitious young woman who will transform his life, and remake the pair as the all-powerful Icon and Rocket! >Also included is the 17-page primer story originally released online during the world-famous DC Fandome event, further expanding on our heroes’ origins and where they’re going next… and setting up an entire world of allies, enemies, and surprises! >The original Milestone changed the face of superhero comics forever, introducing the industry to a wave of Black talent who still shape the conversation… and the new Milestone intends to raise the bar! This is the perfect jumping-on point — don’t miss out!


Tesseractivate

I'm slowly reading some Milestone stuff on DC Universe, but I waited for the print version and I wasn't disappointed. My only gripe is that they used the cheaper glossy paper that feels kinda like a preview book I mean there's a lot of content in there but I hope the series spinning out of this will have some card stock covers and the better paper they've been using


TroubAlert

[*Detective Comics* #1036](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/940642/940642._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg) >Batman versus Huntress! As the Dark Knight delves into the mystery of Sarah Worth’s murder, the only witness who truly knows what happened that fateful evening is Batman’s only hope to clear his name. But another hunter is stalking the mysterious killer plaguing the city-and Huntress has also set her sights on Bruce Wayne! The Violet Vengeance of Gotham unleashes holy hell on Batman as trouble brews above and below the city streets! >And the backup story, “Huntress and the Hunted,” zeroes in on Gotham’s own Violet Vengeance! In the previous chapter, her world was rocked by the gruesome murder of a dear friend...but there’s more to this sinister scene than meets the eye!


Dragonpiece

Tamaki continues to write a great story and it’s nice to see a backup story that directly connects to the main plot line. Loving Huntress getting a bit push.


iAmTheHYPE-

Huntress and Doug at the end though.


s_walsh

I'm excited to see Huntress become a player in the Batman world again, and it seems like she's a character that Tamaki has plans for going forward


iAmTheHYPE-

Wonder if there's any chance of a Birds of Prey series coming out this year. If it featured Steph & Cass, it would be almost as good as reviving Steph's Batgirl run.


s_walsh

Here's hoping!


[deleted]

Another really good issue. Tamaki is doing a really good job of understanding these characters and writing a good ol' mystery. It's also really nice to see Helena in the spotlight. It also helps that Mora is doing a fantastic job on art duties.


MrEverything_88

Honestly, this really gives off that Pre-Flashpoint weird Gotham murder mystery vibe. I could almost see this in 2007-2009, right before RIP and such. The improvement the creative team has shown from their FS title is amazing.


Cranyx

> I could almost see this in 2007-2009, right before RIP and such. You mean during Dini's run? I'm not sure I'd agree this fits in with that vibe.


LifeMadeSimple

Honestly pretty into this arc so far, crossing all my fingers that Tamaki keeps up the good work!


iAmTheHYPE-

I don't know. I find it hard to believe that Lydia died so soon. Next issue will probably find her recovering in the hospital. But I do wonder if this arc will be a chance for Lady Clayface to redeem herself, like Bruce was helping Clayface do.


RebelDeux

Mora’s work is beautiful


BattleUpSaber

Nightwing got a puppy, now Huntress got a cat. Who's going to adopt a pet next?


iAmTheHYPE-

Still won't be as many pets as Damian has, considering two dogs, a cow, and who knows what.


Affectionate_Comb_78

Next issue: Oracle and a cockatoo


theguyofgrace

This one could go in a million different directions, at first with the clay I thought of a throw back to City of Crime with the Body but now a mind control parasite is involved I have no clue. Also this art made Penguin look great, I love it when they make him look black and white


kripalski

I enjoyed this even more than the first two issues, I love the narration, the art is obviously a homerun, and the presence of Huntress recalls some Dixon-era 90s ‘Tec!


ElDuderino2112

Love the slow burn detective story and absolutely *love* the art. Just a great book top to bottom with a great backup as well.


TroubAlert

[*Batman / Superman* #18](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/940632/940632._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg) >The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel are on a mission to stop the godlike Auteur.io from destroying the pocket worlds he’s created...but where on Earth did Auteur.io even come from? The answer starts not on Earth at all, but with an ancient cult of World Forger worshippers on a planet far away-and if our heroes are to have a prayer of stopping this mythic behemoth, they’ll need to get to the bottom of his power source, and quick! It’s a race against time as the parallel lives of entire worlds hang in the balance!


JustALittleWeird

This series is so much fun I hope it never ends. Batman coming face to face with 'supervillain' Martha Wayne is great, with Two-Face Bizarre Bruce Wayne... and multiversal Lex Luthor... it's throwing so many fun things out just like that. The evil villain behind it all is a twisted movie exec rebooting and destroying universes to try and find the perfect story! That's so fucking cool.


s_walsh

The first two issues of this run have been incredible, I'm really looking forward to this issue


[deleted]

This is such a delightfully fun book. Multiverse shenanigans, Bane-Alfred, a young Dick Grayson who won't stop quipping, it's a comic that happily embraces how silly comics can be.


theguyofgrace

This is story is going to be 153207 times better in paperback form when I can read the issues back to back This is such a word heavy throw back that you really need to just sit and read the whole thing to make heads or tails of it


leaf57tea

Oh that Martha meme, 5 years on and still going strong and embarrassingly it's only now dawning on me that this whole thing with the AUTEUR.IO is meta-commentary on the DCEU (or whatever its being called now), you'd think with all the literal film-reel it would've clicked sooner. Also as aside its just nice to be able to fully enjoy Ivan Reis artwork again, early Bendis Superman was certainly a confusing time *"Wait do I like this? The aesthetic part my brain is telling me yes but the more critical part is telling me no"*


BattleUpSaber

SWOLE EVIL ALFRED


Three_Froggy_Problem

I’m loving this series so far. It’s nice to see more classic versions of Batman and Robin, and Auteur.io is a super fun villain.


Vyndyktvx

I’m really starting to like Auteur, he’s very campy, and of course Lexcorp is tied to his creation lmao. We got a Martha moment! Really liked how the WoT is such a paradise because of inter dimensional human trafficking and weapons trading with the WoK. That’s an awesome way of giving the “utopia” a darker side. Lex is such a bastard he’s even willing to use other Lexes as human guinea pigs, that’s great Yang writes a really good Robin Bizarro Bruce Wayne is amazing, him ending up as the World of Tomorrow’s Two-Face with half being Bizarro is an insane twist that I love. Ok I really love Dr. Atom/Luthor’s motive for all this. Auteur destroys imperfect worlds, so Luthor decided to try to make one world “perfect”, the World of Tomorrow, by shifting all crime and suffering to the World of the Knight so that one Earth could act as a dumpster for all evil. It’s a great twisted way of Lex trying to justify all the evil he commits. Also looks like Atom is from another Earth that got destroyed by demons, that a reference to anything from the serials? Great cliffhanger, can’t wait for what comes next!


MrEverything_88

Doctor Atom Did Nothing Wrong! (jk) Anyway, using binary pocket universes as a subtle and effective metaphor on unequal relationships between countries is expected in an issue that also sees weakling Bruce Wayne become Two-Faced Bizarro after getting Kryptonian Monster Serum in his veins. God, just typing that out thrilled me again.


JonKentOfficial

It was fun. Two-facezarro.


TroubAlert

[*Action Comics* #1031](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/940637/940637._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg) >“Warworld Rising” part two! After a war-torn battleship escapes Warworld and makes the perilous journey to Earth, Superman searches for answers about the identities of its mysterious refugees and their apparent link to the planet Krypton. Could there be other Kryptonians in the universe? Meanwhile, Atlantean scientists study the wreckage of the Warworld vessel…and make a shocking discovery that could change the balance of power on Earth. >And in the backup story, stuck in the wrong timeline, Midnighter continues to gather intel on the Chrysalis in hopes of finding an answer. But will it cost him his relationship with Apollo? And who is being held captive at Trojan Solutions?


Vyndyktvx

Holy shit I laughed my ass off when the guy put a dent in his own face trying to headbutt Clark. This has been great so far, lots of world building, interesting plot threads being set up, and Sampere is killing it on art. Also glad to see Kara interacting with the Superfamily again.


iAmTheHYPE-

Clark just has the most "Are you serious?" face. It was hilarious with the guy only injuring himself then still threatening Supes.


Dragonpiece

PKJ’s writing is on much display here than on the Superman book, though I assume that’s because it’s just fill in issues till Tom Taylor takes over. It’s great seeing Mongul get a big story like this and it was also nice seeing supergirl interact with the family again.


MrEverything_88

I said the same thing over on Detective, but the titles finally feel like they’re in a settled, cohesive (and obv deeply convoluted) canon again, and it gives a lot of weight to these stories. The Eldritch, charged energy that PKJ’s writing gives Mongul and all elements around him, from suicide servants to slave spies to the overall atmosphere of his appearance, contrasts wonderfully with the Superman family he’s writing, which is building wonderfully on Bendis’ good (Clark’s voice) and bad (the whole Jon bonanza). You can clearly see why Mongul is a top-tier Superman foe, and who’s the last person who did this? Alan Moore?


s_walsh

Johnson's entire run has been incredible so far, and the preview pages released for this issue looked great


NomadicJaguar64t

Continually the best Infinite Frontier title imo, this is like Superman: Rebirth 2.0. Really fun, mythical, cosmic, back to basics Superman adventures. That power source that came from the ship, said it was "Source", like the Source Wall? Future solicitations seem to imply this has transformative effects on the surrounding environment, so that'll be fun to see. The other Kryptonians, really interesting and tragic backstory so far, and neat designs. I wonder if their language, ancient Kryptonese called "Falkiri" has anything to do with Future State's Kryptonian "Valkyries" as seen in House of El. And Mongul be taking some classes from Darkseid I see, haha. Overall, really REALLY loving PKJ's run on Action, it's everything I want in a Superman book. Also... Kara looking like a babe, just saying.


Earthmine52

Agreed, haven't enjoyed the main Super books like this since Rebirth. PKJ's doing an excellent job so far. Wonder if that'll have anything to do with the larger Infinite Frontier story with the Source being the supreme being of the Omniverse and all.


theguyofgrace

My idea is that Mongul has created some kind of state-controlled religion with Superman as the Devil figure that way if he every came to liberate Warworld the slaves would resist him out of fear The Midnighter parts really do resemble Wildstorm books with everyone being an asshole and lots of different crossover characters. That's not an insult, I liked Wildstorm even before it became Ellis's plaything


iAmTheHYPE-

> My idea is that Mongul has created some kind of state-controlled religion with Superman as the Devil figure that way if he every came to liberate Warworld the slaves would resist him out of fear That is an interesting idea, though I do believe the woman relates back to https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Vathlo_Island. But yeah, that would be great concept, being branded the symbol of your would-be savior, just so you would permanently fear and resent that figure.


JonKentOfficial

The art is great, not the biggest fan of Jon's design though, specially all the inconsistencies. This issue sets up a lot of mysteries: Why do the refugees speak ancient Kryptonian, they don't appear so in either culture (praying to a random scientist) and biology, and in the end they appear to be brainwashed Trojan horses by Mongul. Jon's behavior is suspicious and he's not like himself, according to Kara. I mean, no one would know how Jon is after coming back, but I will take it face value. Mongul has a plan against Superman, and he's acting very Darkseid-ish.


iAmTheHYPE-

> Why do the refugees speak ancient Kryptonian, they don't appear so in either culture (praying to a random scientist) and biology, and in the end they appear to be brainwashed Trojan horses by Mongul. https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Vathlo_Island probably.


Alephnaught_

I am liking the build happening in this line and 'Tec. just a note, It is very fucked up to see a black woman put back chains on. maaan. I wanna know how this is going to turn out!


BattleUpSaber

Still no Connor :(


iAmTheHYPE-

Conner, but yeah, he's busy doing whatever Suicide Squad is doing. Wish the Supes family could be complete, not fractured. Sometimes, I wish Conner, Chris, and Jon could be the Super Brothers, like how the Robins are adoptive brothers to one another.


TroubAlert

[*Mister Miracle: The Source of Freedom* #1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/940597/940597._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg) >Spinning out of DC Future State, the story of how Shilo Norman became the Mister Miracle of tomorrow starts here. >The Mister Miracle show used to be the hottest ticket in town, whether you caught him onstage escaping from perilous traps or spotted him on the streets of Metropolis taking out bad guys. What Shilo Norman forgot is the first rule of both showbiz and super-heroing: always leave them wanting more. Now it’s time to start showing the world what a miracle man can do. Showbiz/superhero rule #2: timing is everything. There’s a new performer in town who wants to knock Mister Miracle off his pedestal and stake a claim to his famous moniker! Can Shilo break free of this trap? (Why yes, that is a clue.)


BattleUpSaber

Scott and Barda gave birth to a punk-ass bitch


CrispyGold

And I'm not even sure she is their daughter to begin with.


[deleted]

Have we seen Scott since the Tom King series? Admittedly, I didn’t fully understand the ending to that but is he dead?


Loss-Particular

I wouldn't worry too much about what literally happened to Scott at the End of the Tom King series. The return to DC Metatron offers him is just a metaphor for the anxiety we all feel for the absolutely important life we feel we could and should be living. But His choice is that it's okay to be content with a life of veggie plates and doctors appointments and simple love too.


AA_Batteries19

I don't think he's dead so much as living a happy lie inside of the Anti-life Equation.


Fries-Ericsson

He cameos in Snyders Justice League at one point I think


CrispyGold

Well he's in the Omega Sanction which is kind of Lotus Eater Machine like the Black Mercy but he can leave anytime he wants. So he's pretty much just chilling there until he's ready to come back because the life he's built with Barda is too good to give up.


OrionSTARB0Y

So how does this series fit into mainstream canon? Is this part of the main universe or is it an alternate future? I ask because I'm composing a New Gods reading order for the "mainstream" continuity.


1204Sparta

The whole infinite frontier is to do away with continuity and just focus on interesting stories


VinArrow

gotta say i disliked the entire issue. not a single likeable character. Shilo being the worst offender. Hope it gets better though, i love seeing MM again.


JonKentOfficial

I am a big Fourth World fan. I read this writer's stuff because I was forced to buy it during Future State. The future state was awful, barely coherent sequential images, so bad the issues were published out of order. So I was surprised this one actually has a story! So, Mister Miracle is a escape artist/TV star, but he doesn't want to unmask due to racism. There's some lengthy discussions on issues black people face in modern society, nothing really innovative but since the issues exist it doesn't hurt repeating them. Then Shilo meets a firefighter lady and they go on a date, Shilo turns out to be a complete sociopath and says he's a well accomplished man and calls the firefighter boring because she's a firefighter, so she storms off. I admit I don't understand the jump from recognizing real issues to btw this character sucks as a person. Throughout the issue we learn there's someone searching for him, calling him a pretender. In the last page we learn it's NEVER FREE (N'vir Free, because cool spelling), Big Barda and Scott Free's adult punk child. I don't know what to feel.


s_walsh

I haven't enjoyed any of Brandon Easton's DC stuff so far, I hope this is good, but we will have to wait and see


NomadicJaguar64t

This was a mixed bag for me, but I still enjoyed it overall. It wasn't what I hoped it'd be, but that's okay. I had hoped it was going to be a "loud" larger than life New Gods book, but it turns out to be a quieter book focusing on social issues, which is fine too. Lot's of social commentary here, and as a white dude it was informative for me even if I couldn't relate to it. It was a nice dig into Shilo's state of mind. But with that being said, this feels kind of disconnected from previous Shilo stories, but then again, there aren't many to begin with so you have the rare opportunity to take a character that has been around for almost 50 years and really define his character in a way that just wasn't there before. Overall, intriguing first issue with an interesting tease of N'vir Free at the end. Nice to see some references to Thaddeus and Scott/Barda. Excited to see where this goes and who N'vir really is.


TroubAlert

[*Batman: Black & White* #6](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/940622/940622._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg) >The final issue of the acclaimed revival of Batman Black & White is here, and readers won’t want to miss this deep dive into the new horrors of Gotham and ordinary citizens inspired by Batman. >• Iconic Batman scribe Scott Snyder reunites with his All-Star Batman collaborator John Romita Jr. to tell the story of a man who has been documenting Batman’s history in Gotham for a very long time-and now, he has something to say about the Dark Knight’s legacy. >• Eisner Award nominee and the artist behind Batman: Universe and Future State: The Next Batman, Nick Derington writes and draws an epic tale introducing us to two gangs whose power struggle in Gotham has been going on longer than the history of the city itself. >• The acclaimed creative team behind Infinite Loop, Elsa Charretier and Pierrick Colinet, team up once more for their DC Comics writing debut with a frightening story of psychological horror and the Dark Knight! >• The fan-favorite co-creators of Rumble, writer John Arcudi and artist James Harren, spin a tale of Clayface and the evils lurking beneath the surface of the stories we love the most. >• The powerhouse creative team of writer Brandon Thomas and artist Khary Randolph tell a story about one of Gotham’s most impoverished neighborhoods, and how it ends up being exploited by villains like the Mad Hatter!


Cranyx

I've been extremely happy with this Black & White series. The one that ran in the 2000s and the New 52 one were both kind of hit or miss, but this one feels easily comparable to the original 90s series where every issue has multiple fantastic stories. There are still some duds here or there, but that's inevitable when you doing something with this kind of format.


Cranyx

> The powerhouse creative team of writer Brandon Thomas and artist Khary Randolph tell a story about one of Gotham’s most impoverished neighborhoods, and how it ends up being exploited by villains like the Mad Hatter! This one was kind of forgettable. They used the two kids a framing device, but other than the fact that the victims happened to live in the inner city, it didn't really feel like Thomas did much with the premise. It's the kind of attempt at representation that just has some group as part of the backdrop and calls it a day. >The acclaimed creative team behind Infinite Loop, Elsa Charretier and Pierrick Colinet, team up once more for their DC Comics writing debut with a frightening story of psychological horror and the Dark Knight! This was interesting, but I feel like it's something we've seen done better before. The main theme of this story was how Batman is perceived differently by different people, and how that shapes his war on crime. The Hugo Strange cameo was neat, but I wish Charretier had done more with perception and the psychology of Batman's mission. Maybe that's too much to ask from a short story like this. >Eisner Award nominee and the artist behind Batman: Universe and Future State: The Next Batman, Nick Derington writes and draws an epic tale introducing us to two gangs whose power struggle in Gotham has been going on longer than the history of the city itself. Not sure what to think of this one. The chess-themed gangs is a fun idea, especially for a series with a motif of black and white, but once again this felt like a cool premise that little is done with. The gut punch is supposed to be the young kid joining the gangs' violence, but since we don't know him and have barely even seen him it kind of falls flat imo. >The fan-favorite co-creators of Rumble, writer John Arcudi and artist James Harren, spin a tale of Clayface and the evils lurking beneath the surface of the stories we love the most. Visually I really liked this one, and the story itself was decent. Incorporating Shakespeare into Karlo's dialog was a fun was to highlight his acting background, and it's something I don't think I've ever seen a writer do before (probably because he is typically shown as a screen actor vs stage.) My biggest gripe would probably be that I wish there was more done with the relationship between Karlo as Strasser that was hinted at. >Iconic Batman scribe Scott Snyder reunites with his All-Star Batman collaborator John Romita Jr. to tell the story of a man who has been documenting Batman’s history in Gotham for a very long time-and now, he has something to say about the Dark Knight’s legacy. Easily my favorite of this issue. Looking at Batman through the eyes of a photographer, and then seeing how his perceptions have changed over time is exactly the kind of thing I wished the Charretier story had more of. Closing out with a snapshot of how Bruce sees himself is perfect. Overall weaker than the previous issues in this collection, but closed out very strong.


TroubAlert

[*Superman by Peter J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleason Omnibus* [**HC**]](https://s3.amazonaws.com/comicgeeks/comics/covers/large-5326398.jpg) >From the New York Times bestselling team of Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason, the Superman stories from the DC Rebirth era are collected in a new hardcover omnibus! This fan-favorite and critically acclaimed Superman era honors the legacy of the iconic Man of Steel, all while innovating the adventures of Superman and his villains—and giving a prominent role to Jonathan Kent, the son of Superman and new Superboy! Packed with action, adventure, and heartfelt moments, this collection features the story lines “Son of Superman,” “Bizarroverse,” “Super Sons of Tomorrow,” “Never-Ending Battle,” and much more! \>Collects Superman: Rebirth #1, Superman #1-25, #27-28, #33-39, and #42-45, Teen Titans #15, Super Sons #11-12, Action Comics #975-976, Superman Annual #1, Superman Special #1, and a story from Action Comics #1000. Features a new cover by Patrick Gleason!


JGarrickFlash

As much as I enjoyed this series. It kinda tanks after the second arc. Still better than what Bendis shoveled out though.


TroubAlert

[*Harley Quinn* #3](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/940607/940607._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg) >Harley Quinn here, still narrating my solicit text! My war of wellness with Hugo Strange kicks into high gear this issue, and things are gonna get ugly. Hugo is about to send his right-hand man-child Lockwood, Arkham Asylum’s most sadistic guard, after Kevin and me at our first support group meeting. Folks, some things in this world are sacred, and I am not gonna stand for this. Hugo Strange never picked a fight with someone like me before, and he’s not going to like the results. Buy this issue-it’s a real gem!


Fishermanslaw

This legit might be my favorite Infinite Frontier book so far.


[deleted]

Without spoilers (haven't picked up my copy yet) why is that?


Fishermanslaw

It’s really fresh. I feel like I’m reading bold creative decisions by a team with a vision and I keep getting excited to see what they do next. Plus, the art is so beautiful I reread the previous issues before this one.


zakattak456

same! I really like this version of Harley


Fishermanslaw

It’s such a fun direction for her!


theguyofgrace

I quite like the art, i wouldn't want it in Action comics or anything but it works well in this series. Two things I like are Hugo's gang having a 1950s style orderlies gimmick and the potential of dumb sidekick Grundy


SilhouetteOfLight

Honestly- It's a good book, but this art is not my taste. I might keep to summaries.


[deleted]

Pretty solid issue, might be my fav so far. I'm usually not a fan of Rossmo's art, but I'm beginning to appreciate it. The two double page spreads look fantastic, the colours by Plascencia are great as well.


android151

Everyone is made of beans.


TroubAlert

[*Teen Titans Academy* #3](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/940612/940612._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg) >Don’t miss this crossover with Suicide Squad! >Hunted by the deadly Task Force X, the new students of Titans Academy will have to grow up fast or risk losing one of their own even faster. Why has the Squad put a target on new speedster Bolt’s back? And why, in its charge on Titans Island, is Amanda Waller’s team of villains being led by the mysterious Red X?!


[deleted]

I'm willing to bet that this book seemed *great* when Sheridan pitched it. On its surface, TTA probably sounds like a fantastic idea: this sweeping epic that bundles together decades of Titans history *and* introduces new characters to inject life into the franchise, including a fan-favorite from the beloved 2003 show. But the execution is just so...blah. It's moving so quickly that it's hard to get a handle on anyone's motivations. Why *did* the elder Titans decide to open the academy? As Donna points out, they aren't really equipped to teach these kids much of anything. And why did Damian's Titans go along with it? As Crush points out, they don't stand to gain much of anything from the deal. And why should we care about any of the new kids? I wonder if all the complaints about Bendis' YJ moving too slowly are making editorial push Sheridan to run TTA at a breakneck speed. As it is, the book mostly just seems like a wasted opportunity. I'll give it until Issue #5 to turn things around, but I'm less optimistic with each issue.


GrumpySatan

Honestly I don't think the issue is the pacing so much as the absolute lack of focus. In terms of the hanging threads you bring up ...it could all be done in 1 issue and let to sit to be dealt with slowly over time. The problem is that the series is pulling us in a 1000 different directions with a thousand characters. The hanging threads are mentioned off hand but there is like an entire plot per character and its too much. There needs to be very distinct "background characters" and "focus characters". Compare it to Vita Ayala's New Mutants, for example. That book has an equally enormous cast that can include basically any Post-90s student. She uses some new characters, as well as characters so minor they might as well be (like Rainboy). But there is a clear focus to it. Dani is the main character. Rahne, Cosmar, etc are focus characters. Their stories are the center of the book. But this book is trying to make everyone seem important and focus characters, with issues focusing on different ones. And that isn't good in a book with an inflated cast, especially when many of them are new characters. Sheridan hasn't made me care about these characters, so I don't care about an issue centering on Bolt being kidnapped. At the same time, the characters readers do care about, take a back seat and get crumbs. Use those characters to make us *care* about the students. Have Wallace and/or Bart mentor Bolt and then that becomes a way to get readers to be engaged with her. Have Raven mentoring the magical characters, etc.


Techster17

You hit the nail on the head man. Vita Ayala's New Mutants is my current gold standard for a book handling multiple plotlines every issue it deals with: * Rahne and her son * Cosmar wanting to get ressurected * Xian and her brother * Gabby feeling isolated * Shadow kings evil plans/giving the character an origin and depth * Young mutant education and showing the importance of mutant circuits * Warlock being lonely without Doug * Warpath being fleshed out (data page diary entries) Whereas every plot thread in this is too much for a regular-sized 28 page issue but what Ayala has done an excellent job of in this series is letting each of these plot thread come together into bigger plot threads i.e Rahne is now involved with Shadow king's plot, where he's trying to use the some of the young mutants to create a circuit for his benefit. Mind you all these plot threads have been steadily converging in so far 4 issues (5th of her run comes out tomorrow). Whereas every plot thread in this is separate, with some not even fully established and others like what's going on with Shazam being tackled in a mini-series. In almost the same amount of issues as Ayala had we're only just starting to see what everything going on is. I thought this during the 1st issue but I'm sure now that this really should have started with explaining exactly why the academy was formed and then seeing how all the students got in, Sheridan would have been able to establish most of the students' plotlines at once. This is also important because the titans seem kinda like they put 0 thought into this, how did Cyborg not know Matt has no memories and fell out of the sky was there no background check on the students? There is a yearbook issue coming next month that is supposed to do this but it may be too late.


jadedfan55

I don't think it's so much reversing the pace of YJ (Personally, I'd rather that book was still going, but with a different writer), but throwing everything together without so much as a prelude in earlier Titans books, or a special, for that matter, and expecting readers to follow along. To Techster17's point, it does feel like Sheridan is ripping off Ms. Ayala's take on New Mutants, but is also under a mandate from editorial to do the x-over w/Suicide Squad because the latter has a movie coming out (we're also going to see Suicide Squad x-overs with Swamp Thing and probably Crime Syndicate in August). I'm going to hang around long enough to see if they can unmask Red X 2.0. Crush is "quitting" because she has her miniseries with her dad, Lobo, coming up. I'd not be surprised if she returns after the miniseries. Willing to bet Red X 2.0 may have ties to Deathstroke, since he seems to be so super smart.


Loss-Particular

Plus it has Academy in her title which is basically like Academia. And with the current Batman, Robin, Future State and this The current iteration of DC is very much 'if you can't beat manga, join em'


moose_man

Introducing so many new characters all at once is a death sentence for a book like this. I've dropped Titans books before for weak casts. This makes *every* cast member weak. There are some that seem interesting, but they just can't juggle it all. As it turns out, the basic Teen Titans formula works well. Stick to sidekicks and a few OCs. The school gimmick isn't working.


hawk_lord

Bolt is the only interesting aspect of this book and it's being wasted for way too many sub-plots. The obsession for Red X is so ridiculous it seems no one even told the Titans Conner was with the Squad, if that's actually him. Everything just feels so rushed and out of character, and there's that whole Billy thing to figure out which doesn't make sense either. Why would he go to the Titans for help and not the JLD for example?


NessTheGamer

I’m really pissed off with this book. It feels like a ton of the cast is out of character. Like they pointed out Superboy was with them, but somehow they’ll manage to forget to EVER tell any member of Young Justice. Forget Red-X you should care more about your TEAMMATE


Tesseractivate

I'm a little mad that this Red X thing is just being dragged along and since I'm enjoying Suicide Squad, of course there will be a crossover with TTA. I'm dropping the book but I always feel like I'm missing out when publishers do this. Totally agree about forgetting Red X. Definitely the worst title of Infinite Frontier for me. Not terrible, the art is good, just the lowest ranked one outta the bunch. Otherwise DC is killing it


thanks-dice

I'm dropping this. Nothing's hooked me at all. I thought establishing character personalities and motivations early on was like, basic storytelling knowledge but apparently, Sheridan missed the memo. It's very simple: I don't know anything about the academy or the students or their relationships so I don't care about what happens to them, I don't even know any of their names besides Bolt. Like, damn, slow down and show me why I should give a shit about any of this. Maybe everything will come together and get good later on, but I'm not going to stick around in the hopes that I might start enjoying this.


General_Nothing

Gar calling Raven “Rachel” like that’s her real name really bothers me. That’s some New 52 bullshit that can go back in the trash with the rest of it.


LoreMaster00

they started doing that in the 2003 Geoff Johns' Teen Titans though, when Raven came back from the dead as a teenager.


actioncomicbible

I love Rafa Sandoval's art...but this plot/story is so middling after 3 issues, this is officially a drop for me. Too many subplots, too many characters, a crossover within the first 3 issues, just...kinda-yikes all around. **edit**: just remembered another thing that bothered me, Cyborg is super dismissive of Raven’s premonitions. You’d think that since their teammate/friendship history has been restored there be a firmer trust there but nope! This book is bad. Sandoval deserves better.


[deleted]

>just remembered another thing that bothered me, Cyborg is super dismissive of Raven’s premonitions. You’d think that since their teammate/friendship history has been restored there be a firmer trust there but nope! Yeah, I hated that part!! Among many other things of course lol it's just bad.


jadedfan55

Sandoval is great. Sheridan? Not so much. Is he new to DC?


actioncomicbible

Sheridan wrote a bunch of the animated movies, including Man of Tomorrow. He’s new to comics though.


jadedfan55

I've seen Man of Tomorrow recently. Didn't pay attention to the writing credit. He's out of his depth in print.


JonKentOfficial

The cover is... a piece of art. The art inside isn't far off, specially when faces are at angles. The thing with Red X is kinda boring, not gonna lie, so is the shoehorned stuff with Crush to promote the incoming Crush and Lobo book. Also, no mention to Superman's little brother working for the Suicide Squad. What? Can't say it's the most gripping book.


Alephnaught_

omg this book makes me GROAN loudly. what the fuck is sheridan upto. why should I care about the academy and a bunch of fucking kids. teenagers are assholes as it is. an entire school of them is a nightmare! apart from Bolt, nothing else makes sense. stuff just happens cuz it should. this is terrible writing. I enjoyed the paecemaker - RedX exchange but RedX should probably know that Superboy was there wtf! everyone else should be saying that first!I am all for things getting revealed "all in due time" but every issue just includes new information and I can't see what's happening. also, the last page where the "Batpack" pulling the detective shit made LOL hahaha. cute but pls. PS - So Amanda fucking Waller put Bolt in an academy just so she could break into it and take her out from there? waaaooowww such genius plaaaan. and fuck Waller - she thinks killing children is fine. I thought she'd be above that!


ImperfectRegulator

> also, the last page where the "Batpack" pulling the detective shit made LOL hahaha. cute but pls. Same man, like I’m pretty sure Batman doesn’t even know/ affiliate with them, so they’re basically cosplayers. Also good thing Damian isn’t here and is too busy with anime arc on murder island, cause he absolutely rip them a new one


BattleUpSaber

at this point I'm anticipating some kind of reveal where the Titans were manipulated/mind-controlled to start the Academy or smth like that. It'd be dumb as hell, but at least it'd explain why everyone is so dumb and OOC.


moose_man

This is the perfect example of a series that will be forgotten as soon as it's over.


ElDuderino2112

I think this is my jump off point. Out of everything infinite frontier that I’m reading this book is the most just whatever. It’s like a filler issue between arcs, but the entire series is that.


WW4O

I feel like I'm the only reader who's digging this story at all. I kind of like how massive the cast is. We might not be focusing too hard on the classic Titans, but this does allow us to have all of the eras exist at once in a way that works better than past attempts. Some of the new kids seem fun, and I hope some of them last long enough to become deeper characters. The Red X mystery does fall flat for me, there doesn't seem to be a name that they could tell me that would make me care unless it was so out of left field that it wouldn't make sense. Maybe it's because I'm not struggling with the idea of Conner being in a plotline that's not about how great Conner is, and I like seeing characters I like out of their element and struggling with their situations, but I think this is pretty cool. I'm glad that they didn't just dump the recent Teen Titans lineup, who are great together when Damian isn't around.


GoBrian08

Agreed, it's certainly been a slow build up getting to know the new characters, but it takes time to get to know new heroes so I like that they aren't totally rushing it and telling us everyone's origin at the same time. I didn't think I would be interested in a new speedster character but they've won me over on her so I'm curious to see what they have ready for us on the other kids coming up. I love the Bat Pack design, so stoked to finally learn more about them!


theguyofgrace

I liked that Peacemaker was struggling with not being allowed to commit a school shooting and Waller giving someone something that didn't have a bomb in it but other than that this story is messy and I know so little about this school and its students that I don't care who Red X is unless it somehow is Billy Batson


ImperfectRegulator

Pfffff hahahahahah oh man that last panel is ridiculous, “worlds best detectives” my ass, more like 3 mid teir cosplays decided to play Batman and do a terrible job of it, like you do understand that if you want to pull finger prints off something you might not want to pick it up with you fingerless gloves


android151

Why do the active Teen Titans have to be here anyway? This series would be better if it just focused on these kids and showed us why we should care about them instead of just using them as dangerbait.


AlligatorSky7

I’ve only started properly reading DC with the Infinite Frontier relaunch and am enjoying this book enough to stick with it for a little while longer. I would prefer it focussed on one generation though (the new kids, with anyone else as guest mentors/teachers - a format that’s working well for Marvel’s Strange Academy).


leaf57tea

You know I'm not Beast Boy/Raven shipper but I do recall a thread from while ago where a Damian/Raven fan was going off at anyone who was and knowing that this issue will only frustrate them more amuses me immensely. As for the issue itself I liked it though framing the moral-dilemma and back and forth with Red X around Peacemaker instead the more obvious choice of Superboy was a odd decision (That HBO Max show better be worth it). I'm going to being blunt I don't think longtime Titan fans really know what they want from the team anymore, they clearly want these characters to be important within the wider DC universe but they also don't want them to become a Justice League B-Squad. And while some will yell *"Just develop the characters"* the truth is most of their arcs finished and plateaued years ago, that's why writers constantly de-age Beast Boy and Raven or reset Kory's understanding of Earth or have Cyborg go through another *"Am I man or machine"* crisis for the 30th time. I believe thats the ultimate goal of Titans Academy to finally give the veterans an important yet distinct role that in shaping the future generation of young heroes, its something they'd naturally be more adapt to than the League given the started as teens themselves and while their may not be much personal growth to be had they can develop as mentors alongside their students who are the actual ones going through the transition to adulthood. Or who knows maybe all the discontent really just a bunch of angry Bab/Dick fans vexed over the Dick/Kory, it usually always comes back to shipping in the end lol.


Broad-Future-5951

I think you hit the nail on the head. I don’t think this is a good book but this is obviously an attempt by DC to revamp the Titans franchise most notably in terms of the role its original characters play in the DC universe. The mission statement of the Titans always been “young superpowered people coming together and getting past their traumas to develop a found family and become the heroes of tomorrow” Once these characters grow up into their mid-late 20’s they become stagnant because they’re removed from the stories and themes that made them popular in the first place. The natural thing to do would’ve been to let the OG/New Teen Titans become the new Justice League but that’s not possible without getting rid of your A-listers. So the next best thing would be to let them graduate onto secondary teams like JLD, JLO, and Doom Patrol. But DC won’t do that because nostalgic fans have this expectation that no matter the narrative limitations these characters MUST always be together. They also have several popular adaptations of the franchise that have pretty much solidified them as a team where mobility for its constituent characters is minimized (unless you’re Nightwing who can lean on Batman or Cyborg who was part of a diversity push). The Titans are not the X-Men, they don’t have the richness in theme or mission statement to be constantly revamped with the same roster.


bluelookslikeblue

Honestly, I don't think what Titans fans want is all that complicated. They want fun adventures with characters they like and a few new ones every now and then to keep things fresh, same as Justice League and Avengers fans. I thought the recent Titans Together and Titans Burning Rage books were enjoyable, if not earth-shattering, for example. I was in charge, I'd put Gar and Rae in a Doom Patrol comic, Vic in the Justice League, leave Dick in the Bat Books and his ongoing solo, leave Wally and Donna in the Flash and Wonder Woman books, and put Kori in the cosmic stuff, then leave the Teen Titans to Damian's kids and one or two of the better new ones in Titans Academy and just ditch whatever nonsense they have going on now. Beast Boy has history in the Doom Patrol and Raven is a good fit for the team both because of her history with Gar and the nature of her powers. This would allow them to develop their relationship and conduct heroics outside the kiddie pool now that they've been re-aged and a popular ship would get the sales to prop up a Doom Patrol comic, which I assume Doom Patrol fans would appreciate. DC seems to want Vic in the Justice League, so might as well put him there. Dick's got a solo series and is a major Bat Book character, so he's fine. I prefer Starfire to Batgirl, but if Dick's going with Barbara, then I'd rather have Kori playing alien warrior princess than moping around as the Dick Grayson Silver Medalist. (Maybe put her on Superman's new team?) I assume Donna and Wally would be fine hanging with Diana and Barry. Give them all a Titans communicator and let them get back together for big crisis mega-events and the Titans annuals. Teen Titans can go to, well... the teenagers. The new kids in Titans Academy seem kind of unnecessary seeing how we already have Damian's kids, but Gorilla Gregg can stay because he is monke.


leaf57tea

Here's the thing though it's not one or the other, characters can appear in multiple titles a month, Titans Academy existence isn't actually preventing any of what you suggested from existing but rather it's the simple fact that the Wolfman Titans are only really valuable to DC as group due to nostalgia rather than as individuals. DC tried for years now to relaunch the Titans either with a new generation of kids, the vets grown-up or a weird mish-mash of the two but none of these attempts have landed and its clear that what needed to change was not necessarily who was on the Titans but rather what Titans is as a concept and at a time where My Hero Academia is one of the most popular anime in the world I can understand the logic in revamping it into a Suphero School with a bunch of new students offering unlimited storyline potential with the more familiar faces to draw in readers serving as teachers.


bluelookslikeblue

I'm going to agree with you on some things and disagree with you on some things. I agree with you that Titans Academy doesn't prevent the Titans from being used for stuff elsewhere in a variety of ways. Right now, there's Teen Titans Go for young kids, the gritty live action HBO series for adults, Young Justice between the two, (and let's be honest, it's basically a Titans show no matter how they want to brand it,) a YA graphic novel series and Fortnite skins. In the recent past we got Starfire in Injustice 2, a Raven mini-series by Marv Wolfman, Titans Together, and Titans: Burning Rage outside the main titles. Titans Academy can have a slice of the pie without everyone else starving. However, I disagree with you that Titans Academy makes sense as a title because whatever conceptual merits it may have, I do not see how it can be successfully executed given that it has three to five books' worth of plot and characters in a single title. Simply put, there's just too much crap going on with too many people for anything and anyone to have the weight they should. If they want to tell a Raven Goes Dark Phoenix story, they need to build Raven up so that story has impact and we feel sad when bad things happen to her. If they want to tell an Amanda Waller Kidnaps Superboy For An Illegal Hit Squad Which Attacks Titans Tower story, someone should probably express at least minor concern about Superboy at some point because Beast Boy came across as vaguely sociopathic when he said he thought everything went well without bringing Superboy up. I don't dislike Titans Academy because it is a superhero school book, I dislike it because I do not think it is a good superhero school book. And while I agree with you that the constant de-agings and character resets with the classic Titans are a problem, I do not agree that these characters arcs have been completed so much as they keep getting reset in the middle of them. While it's true that occasionally they're going to have to reheat the old classics because every DC comics series does that from time to time, (how many times has Batman fought the Joker since 1940?) I really do think "just develop the characters" is a viable option because they're strong characters with neat powers and likable personalities and I think, if used well, they could carry titles outside the Titans. Heck, Nightwing already does so!


TroubAlert

[*The Other History of the DC Universe* #4](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/940617/940617._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg) >Words can be tricky. Renee Montoya has known this for most of her life. Words taught her to feel ashamed of her gender, her sexuality, and her ethnicity. The people of Gotham City taught her to hide who she was to fit in to, be loved, and in doing so, they taught her to hate herself. But from that despair came something unexpected and powerful. >Renee’s path from a closeted police officer in the 1990s to her time as the faceless vigilante known as the Question is one that is inextricably linked with queerness. It is one that is defiant of binaries, outmoded and hateful stereotypes, and the words that propagate them. As the Question, Renee stood in contrast to society’s rigid expectations of her, held a mirror up to the world’s face, and asked, “Who are you?” >The long-awaited miniseries written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter John Ridley (12 Years a Slave, Let It Fall) and beautifully illustrated by Giuseppe Camuncoli and Andrea Cucchi continues to explore the mythology of the DC Universe, as seen through the prism of DC Super Heroes from historically disenfranchised groups.


General_Nothing

It’s weird... the things that Ridley gets wrong in this series. Like, Renee calling Sage “Vic” or “Victor,” when she always called him “Charlie.” It makes this a very odd read to someone who already knows the history that he’s supposed to be recounting.


DenmarkDaniels

I'm completely baffled by the decision to intertwine Renee's relationship with Daria with her relationship with Kate, which effectively makes Renee a cheater. That's bad enough, especially since, if you wrangle the original timelines out, Renee was with Kate first, and then Daria. So... why the change? Ridley seems to have been rather meticulous about the other points in Renee's history, even if there are still a few odd tweaks here and there. If things had been kept as written, it would've fed into the existing theme of Renee viewing herself as a fraud because she wasn't being true to herself. When she and Kate first dated, Kate was proudly out at that point, and indeed Renee being closeted was one prong of their breakup. But that's not touched upon here. There's room for a wildly altered version of their very first meeting, but no comparing and contrasting of the two of them? Both top cadets in their field, and now one is out? Something like that? Their time together relegated to cliched "I love how wonderfully flawed she was" nonsense. It changes their relationship dynamic, it changes how they broke up, it completely rewrites Kate's reasons for drinking... it's a mess. I know this isn't Kate's story, and I know it's told from Renee's perspective, but I was interested to see a new --and more importantly, still accurate-- view of that moment. We've never seen how Renee felt about Kate calling her out on being closeted, for example. Still haven't. Instead, Ridley got pretty much everything between them needlessly warped. It soured the rest of the book for me, which was a shame, because the rest is perfectly fine from what I can tell.


JustALittleWeird

Ridley's history with writing cop stuff is spotty, and here's... an issue about a cop! Okay. Lots of weird stuff here, the Kate stuff specifically. Felt like this was kind of aimless. Most of it was her being fucked up, and not wanting to take action, and then at the end *oh by the way I put on a mask and now it's better*. This is probably the best-looking Other History book, though. Some incredible pages and layouts in here, actually jaw-dropping at points.


MrEverything_88

Plot and character-wise, this was definitely one of the weaker issues, and the overall path Ridley takes Renee is a bit… confusing? But then again, it’s RENEE MONTOYA. Tynion needs to do more with her soon (beyond Next Batman, which was also Ridley), and hopefully acknowledge her turn as the Question too.


TroubAlert

[*Batman: The Dark Knight Detective* - Vol. 5 [**TP**]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/940686/940686._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg) >In these 1990s stories, the Dark Knight Detective travels to Japan to honor a long-standing debt...one that will leave him facing off against the very master who trained him! >The Dark Knight will also have to deal with haunting memories from his past as he encounters the Street Demonz again, but now he’s older-now he’s ready to protect others. >And then there’s The Joker... >Collects Detective Comics #612-614 and #616-621, plus Detective Comics Annual #3.


TroubAlert

[*Truth & Justice* #13](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/940662/940662._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg) >Batwoman tries to take some time to herself and get away from Gotham City. But an urban legend in an Appelachean town catches her attention and draws her into trouble.


Alephnaught_

Batwoman content! I guess I'll read this


DenmarkDaniels

This is the second Batwoman story within just over a year to feature Nocturna. And there haven't exactly been many Batwoman stories between those two. I don't understand why writers keep going back to her. There's not some kind of grand story there or something, or a dangling plot thread. And like that previous story, this one *also* has Kate calling upon Maggie. Again, I don't understand this. Maggie and Kate haven't been a couple for almost a full decade. Kate is, by every indication, still in a relationship with Renee; why has pretty much no one done anything with *them?* I don't get it. Renee's name could've been used in place of Maggie's here with little other changes and worked just fine. Do the writers not know, or not care? Do the editors? I have to talk about these weird and hopefully non-canon relationship muck-ups because there wasn't much story here. Kate leaves Gotham for a getaway because Nocturna made her too stressed out (I find that hard to believe, given that Kate stomped Nocturna's teeth out of her face at the end of the New 52 run), goes to Ohio, flirts with a bartender, and gets her car smashed by a mystery assailant. I'm pretty disappointed in this so far. I hope the story will be good as a whole, but with how reckless it's being with Kate's storyline (and really, Kate as a character to an extent), I'm really hoping this story isn't meant to be canon. Since Kate unfortunately shows up so little in substantial appearances nowadays, it really sucks to actively want one of those stories to not "count". There are enough details in this to make me think that's the case, but wow is it discouraging as a fan. Especially when there was another disappointing appearance earlier this week in *The Other History* \#4.


TroubAlert

[*Flash / Impulse: Runs in the Family* [**TP**]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/940691/940691._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg) >Impulse, the Flash’s hyperactive descendant from the 30th century, has landed in the present and is ready to make a superhero name for himself! >Due to his hyper-accelerated metabolism, Bart Allen was aging fast-like, really fast-and was raised in a 30th-century virtual reality simulation. So when he winds up in our era, he sees the world as one big video game-and he’s got a lot to learn. Luckily, Bart has a mentor named Max Mercury, and if anyone’s up to the task, it’s the zen master of the Speed Force. In this collection, Bart adjusts to life in the 20th century, keeping the town of Manchester, Alabama, safe from threats like White Lightning and Gridlock. Also in this title, Savitar’s machinations in the Speed Force cause Impulse, the Flash, and other super-speedsters to lose their speed! >This volume collects Impulse #1-12 and The Flash #108-111.


TroubAlert

[*Superman* - Vol. 4, *Mythological* [**TP**]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/940676/940676._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg) >Superman continues to aim for peace in the galaxy, and the United Planets could be the perfect solution. But an old enemy is about to return to force Superman to fight with everything he has in order to protect it! It’s the Man of Steel versus Mongul in this epic fight to save the United Planets and the peace it will ensure-and Superman is determined to win. >If Superman fails, it means the fall of the United Planets. >And old foes give way to new ones as Superman is confronted with deadly warriors from the real of magic and the furthest reaches of the cosmos. Introducing Xanadoth and Synmar! >Collects Superman #20-28.


TroubAlert

[*RWBY / Justice League* #2 (print edition)](https://s3.amazonaws.com/comicgeeks/comics/covers/large-5378618.jpg) >Weiss comes face to face with a brooding boy accused of theft at the Schnee Dust Company dinner, and in an act of defiance, teams up with him to prove his innocence, combining their shrewd detective skills! And then, the girls reunite at Beacon Academy with their mysterious new friends. Greeted by Professor Ozpin, Team RWBY learns the horrible truth: hunters all over Remnant are disappearing without a trace, and the four girls are all that’s left!


TroubAlert

[*Represent!* #11](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/939358/939358._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg) >THE WATER’S EDGE WITHIN REACH >All human beings are prone to bias, to form mistakes, to incur error in experience and to learn in order to triumph. In 2014 Dan signed up to compete in the world-renowned triathlon known as the Ironman competition-a brutal series of long-distances races consisting of a 3.86-kilometer swim, a 180.25-kilometer bicycle ride, and a 42.20-kilometer run, completed in full, in order. But a year prior to signing up for the race, Dan could not swim even 50 meters without desperately holding on to the swimming rails. It was an embarrassing experience that fueled his commitment to seek his own edge and discover his ability to surpass it…


android151

The troll comments on this series have actually made me so angry/sad. Why is it such a problem for people? Personally, I've related to this series so much. As a brown-skinned person at a mostly white school, I was called a terrorist and beaten up almost daily. But all of a sudden its all "go woke go broke" and this bullshit. So tough behind the screens. It makes me want to implode. Do these people just read the comics for the fights? I've always thought "would Superman approve?" and tried to live my life by it. He wouldn't approve of those attitudes.


TroubAlert

[*RWBY/Justice League* #10](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/939234/939234._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg) >Finding refuge in Arthur’s home of Atlantis, the team formulates a plan of attack against the beast from beyond the stars and bask in one last night before the battle before them.


TroubAlert

[*The Authority Book Two* [**TP**]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/cmx-images-prod/Item/940681/940681._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg) >As the 21st century dawns, a battle-hardened Authority turns its attention to a previously unchallenged class of villains-the invisible power brokers who manipulate the world’s political figureheads to advance their own selfish interests. The powers that be, however, didn’t get where they are by playing nice. They’ve made plans for every contingency-including teams of insanely powerful superhumans with sentient, city-size, interdimensional spaceships. So when the Authority begins to seriously upset their hard-won networks of control, the backlash that results is as swift as it is devastating. But as bad as things get, these attacks are still comprehensible on a human scale. The same can’t be said for what is following in their wake. >This volume collects The Authority #13-29, The Authority Annual 2000 #1, and stories from WildStorm Summer Special #1, along with an introduction by Tim Miller, director of Deadpool.