April showers have brought more than just May flowers as the month sees a few series endings, a couple of new miniseries, along with some creator changes. There’s plenty to dig into with DC’s May solicitations.
Booster Gold’s time-traveling antics continue to cause headaches for Batman and Catwoman’s wedding plans in the pages of Batman #46 and #47 with the second and third parts of The Travelers. Over in the pages of Detective Comics, James Tynion IV wraps up his run on the series with issues #980 and #981 in the finale of the Batman Eternal storyline which sees Spoiler and Cassandra Cain discovering the key to protecting Gotham from a dark future and the rest of the team making one last stand against a common foe. In Batman Beyond #20 we may see the Robin of the future in the form of Terry’s brother Matt, assuming he survives his training.
May also sees the advance solicitation for the conclusion of Batman: The Dark Prince Charming as well as the final issue of Batman: White Knight, with the former seeing Batman rescue his possible daughter from the clutches of Joker while in the latter the Joker’s return is at hand and Batman may be the only one who can stop him, assuming he can regain the trust of Jim Gordon. While these miniseries are coming to an end, new short two-issue miniseries called Harley Quinn: Harley Loves Joker which releases both issues of the miniseries this month while the monthly comic is notably absent from solicitations. Releasing weekly during the month will be Justice League: No Justice which spins out of the pages of Dark Nights: Metal and features the powerhouse writing team of Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, and Joshua Williamson. This is why the normal Justice League series, Justice League of America, Titans and Teen Titans all have no issues solicited this month.
Series coming to an end in May include Batgirl and the Birds of Prey which wraps up issue #22 by answering the question “Who is Oracle?” Meanwhile, Super Sons ends with issue #16 and the pint-sized heroes picking up the pieces of the Amazo Project. Also, the final arc begins in Bombshells United as DC announced the series will come to an end in the coming months.
Nightwing is receiving it’s second creative shakeup since Rebirth when Benjamin Percy takes over writing duties with Christopher Mooneyham on art. The new storyline, dubbed The Bleeding Edge, will see Bludhaven becoming a city of the future, just not necessarily a Utopian one. Will the third time be the charm with Nightwing’s creative team? We’ll see in May as the series also switches to one issue per month from the two that have released since the beginning of Rebirth.
Finally, if you have a quarter to spare, you can pick up DC Nation #0 which among its three stories is a prelude to the wedding of Batman and Catwoman written by Tom King. That’s a really small price to pay for the countdown to the wedding of the century. Although, an even smaller price is available as the magazine will be available for free digitally.
Check out the gallery of some of the covers coming in May and the full details on the releases below.
BATMAN BOOKS
BATMAN #46-47 [5/2, 5/16] Written by TOM KING Art by TONY S. DANIEL and SANDU FLOREA; #46: “THE TRAVELERS” part two! Booster Gold’s wedding present has screwed up Batman’s past, and done even more damage to his present. Now, with the Caped Crusader himself refusing to cooperate, the only way for Booster to correct this runaway timeline is to get Catwoman on his side. But with her own past altered, can he make Catwoman recognize the qualities in her husband-to-be that brought them together in the first place? Plus, if Batman isn’t doing his job, Gotham City may become way more dangerous than our bumbling time-traveler might be ready for. #47: “THE TRAVELERS” part three! As Booster Gold, Batman and Catwoman zero in on the time anomaly, what they find and their actions to correct it will have ramifications on all of the DC Universe. Tom King and Master Class artist Tony S. Daniel end their first story with a bang that will tee up the next big development in the Batman/Catwoman romance. 32 pg, $2.99
BATMAN: THE DARK PRINCE CHARMING BOOK TWO HC [6/20] Written by ENRICO MARINI Art and cover by ENRICO MARINI; Concluding the story begun in the critically acclaimed and sold-out first volume by European superstar artist Enrico Marini (Scorpion, Eagles of Rome). Batman hunts down The Joker in a desperate attempt to rescue the young girl who may or may not be the daughter of Bruce Wayne. But The Joker’s prisoner may be more formidable in her own right than he anticipated. And what role might Catwoman have to play in the final showdown between two sworn enemies? 72 pg, $12.99, 2 of 2
BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT #8 [5/2] Written by SEAN MURPHY Art and cover by SEAN MURPHY; In the extra-sized finale of Sean Murphy’s top-selling miniseries, Jack Napier’s suspicious seduction of Gotham City comes to its twisted conclusion! With the city on the verge of becoming an icy tomb for the GTO, Batgirl makes a crucial assist and Gordon is forced to reevaluate his judgment of Batman to secure the greater good. As the true Joker’s return becomes imminent, Harley seeks vengeance and reckons with the bleak future that looms for her loved ones. 40 pg, $4.99, 8 of 8
DETECTIVE COMICS #980-981 [5/9, 5/23] Written by JAMES TYNION IV Art by ALVARO MARTINEZ and RAUL FERNANDEZ; #980: “Batmen Eternal” part five! The worst possible future for Gotham City has been locked into place, and there’s nothing Batman can do to stop it…until Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain catch a glimpse of something they never would have thought possible! #981: “Batmen Eternal” finale! This is it—the unbelievable conclusion of James Tynion IV’s Batman epic! It’s the last stand of the Gotham Knights, fighting a monster they helped inspire…and a destiny they won’t accept! What will become of the greatest crime-fighting team Gotham City ever saw. 32 pg, $2.99
THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD: BATMAN AND WONDER WOMAN #4 [5/16] Written by LIAM SHARP Art and cover by LIAM SHARP; Elatha may have been the most recent king of Tir Na Nóg to die, but death is never far from the throne. Batman and Wonder Woman learn about the realm’s first king, his mysterious silver arm and what bearing it may have on the problems of the present, as the Fomorians grow increasingly weary of these strangers and their questions. The duo’s investigation was supposed to bring answers and keep the peace, but it might burn into the spark that ignites the first shots of war! 32 pg, $3.99, 4 of 6
GREATER GOTHAM
BANE: CONQUEST #11 [5/30] Written by CHUCK DIXON Art and cover by GRAHAM NOLAN; The penultimate issue of this year-long event starts and ends with action, as Bane and his company of villains invade Kobra’s mountain stronghold with the aim of kidnapping the infant Naja-Naja. But one of Bane’s newfound allies is actually his oldest enemy: Batman! The globe-spanning, universe-rocking gangster epic begins its climax here! Who will live? Who will die? And what will happen when the wrath of Kobra falls on the man who broke the Bat. 32 pg, $3.99, 11 of 12
BATGIRL #23 [5/23] Written by HOPE LARSON Art by MINKYU JUNG and JOSE MARZAN JR.; “STRANGE LOOP” finale! Trapped in a prison of her own mind’s making, Batgirl must act out of character in order to reenter reality. Can she put her need to survive above the needs of those she’s sworn to protect? Or is she doomed to wander the mazes of her mind for all of eternity?! 32 pg, $3.99
BATGIRL AND THE BIRDS OF PREY #22 [5/9] Written by JULIE BENSON and SHAWNA BENSON Art by ROGE ANTONIO;“WHO IS ORACLE?” revisited! Batgirl and Black Canary must find Huntress and save her from Calculator and Blackbird’s nefarious plan. But everything comes full circle when the answer to Calculator’s question—“Who is Oracle?”—is at last revealed. The Birds of Prey have always been a tight-knit team, but here, in what could be their final hours, they truly become a family. 32 pg, $3.99, FINAL ISSUE
BATMAN BEYOND #20 [5/23] Written by DAN JURGENS Art by MARCO CASTIELLO and MARK MORALES; “Target: Batman” part one! After his first outing as a vigilante, Matt is hungry for another chance to prove himself, but Bruce and Terry butt heads over what’s next for Matt. Will Terry shut his brother down for good, or will the original Batman succeed in training him to become the latest Robin? Meanwhile, a hostage crisis turns deadly, and Commissioner Barbara Gordon has to sort out why the Jokerz are resorting to far more violent and extreme measures than ever before. 32 pg, $3.99
BATWOMAN #15 [5/16] Written by MARGUERITE BENNETT Art by FERNANDO BLANCO; “THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF KANE” part three! A lethal plague fills the skies of Gotham City as the Many Arms of Death throttle Batwoman’s hold on the city! As their leader Alice begins her deadly endgame, Batwoman realizes that if she cannot stop her sister—Batman will. 32 pg, $3.99
HARLEY QUINN: HARLEY LOVES JOKER #1-2 [5/2, 5/16]Written by PAUL DINI Art by BRET BLEVINS; #1: Paul Dini returns to the character he co-created to deliver the incredible two-issue wrap-up of the “Harley Loves Joker” flashback tale that ran as a backup in HARLEY QUINN last year! As far as The Joker’s concerned, the new headquarters Harley built for them is absolutely perfect…but only she knows the whole place is rigged to come crashing down around them—and she doesn’t know how to stop it! #2: And in the second and final issue in this two-issue miniseries, the Harley/Joker crime spree reaches an explosive crescendo—literally! Everything blows up—including, perhaps, their relationship…? 32 pg, $3.99, 1 and 2 of 2
MOTHER PANIC: GOTHAM A.D. #3 [5/23] Written by JODY HOUSER Art by IBRAHIM MOUSTAFA Arkham Institute has been branded a place of healing, but the horror that lurks behind its walls makes the old asylum look like a tea party. Will Violet Paige be able to rescue her mother from the Collective’s clutches, or will a certain artiste spoil her chances? And what has happened to Dr. Quinzel?! 32 pg, $3.99
NIGHTWING #44 [5/2] Written by BENJAMIN PERCY Art by CHRISTOPHER MOONEYHAM; “THE BLEEDING EDGE” part one! Change is on the horizon when a new technologist sets his sights on Blüdhaven, creating a holographic, interconnected city where everyone is an individual and also part of a larger network. It’s the Internet made physical! Gentrification on gigabyte-laced steroids. But when this new utopia encroaches on his turf, Nightwing starts to uncover a sinister plot based not on revenge…but on a reckoning. “The Bleeding Edge” begins here, setting Dick Grayson on a path to clarify the ideals at his very core: his sense of home and identity. 32 pg, $3.99
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #22 [5/9] Written by SCOTT LOBDELL Art by DEXTER SOY; The Penguin has redeveloped waterfront property into a new boardwalk attraction for children of all ages, but Red Hood knows any “legitimate” business of the Penguin’s is a cover for something illegitimate. Plus, Artemis pays a visit to Lex Luthor to find out about the “side effects” of Bizarro’s revival, though Lex might be more concerned with dredging up his past with the wayward Amazon than answering any of her questions. 32 pg, $3.99
GREATER DC UNIVERSE
JUSTICE LEAGUE: NO JUSTICE #1-4 [5/9, 5/16, 5/23, 5/30]Written by SCOTT SNYDER, JAMES TYNION IV and JOSHUA WILLIAMSON Art by FRANCIS MANAPUL and MARCUS TO; #1: DARK NIGHTS: METAL left the DCU transformed in ways both terrifying and wondrous—and only the Justice League is strong enough to face the threats to come…or are they? Four giant beings comprised of the universe’s major energies—Mystery, Wonder, Wisdom and Entropy—who sustain their life force by devouring planets are on their way to destroy the planet of Colu. The only way to take down this unimaginable threat is for the superhero teams of Earth to forget everything they thought they knew and form new alliances. What secrets of the cosmos will Superman, Martian Manhunter and Team Mystery discover? Will Zatanna, Wonder Woman and Team Wonder awaken alien magic they cannot put back to sleep? What can Harley Quinn possibly have to teach the rest of Team Wisdom? And most importantly…why the heck is Beast Boy on Team Entropy with Lobo and Batman? Find out all this and much more in the most exciting, bombastic event of summer 2018! In this kickoff issue to the four-issue miniseries, after Brainiac systematically takes down all of Earth’s super-teams, the last thing the League expects is for him to ask for their help! Without their aid, his home planet and the universe are both doomed! #2: The teams arrive at Brainiac’s home world to find it already in chaos. Only by splitting up and journeying to the four cosmic trees of Colu will they have any hope of saving the planet…but what’s waiting for them will test the true mettle of their new alliances! #3: Starfire makes a crushing discovery, Beast Boy uncovers a shocking betrayal, and Cyborg and Wonder Woman are forced to make decisions that will have devastating repercussions for all four teams…and potentially for those they left behind on Earth. #4: The epic finale that everyone will be talking about! After the unimaginable happens, the DCU must band together to defend Earth from annihilation. Before the end, new alliances will be forged…and some heroes will be lost forever. Don’t miss the event that will set the stage for the Justice League in 2018 and beyond! 32 pg, $3.99, 1 to 4 of 4
DEATHSTROKE #31 [5/2] Written by CHRISTOPHER PRIEST Art by CARLO PAGULAYAN; “DEATHSTROKE VS. BATMAN” part two! The war between Deathstroke and Batman escalates when the Dark Knight foils one of Deathstroke’s assassination attempts! Meanwhile, a mysterious package brings Commissioner Gordon to Bruce Wayne’s doorstep, and Adeline Kane—Slade Wilson’s ex—sets her sights on Batman! 32 pg, $3.99
DOOMSDAY CLOCK #5 [5/23] Written by GEOFF JOHNS Art and cover by GARY FRANK; The Comedian lives! The Mime and Marionette loose in Gotham City! Rorschach is locked in the bowels of Arkham Asylum! Secrets will be revealed as the Doomsday Clock ticks on. 32 pg, $4.99, 5 of 12
SUPER SONS #16 [5/30] Written by PETER J. TOMASI Art by CARLO BARBERI and ART THIBERT; “END OF INNOCENCE” part two! The epic battle between the Super Sons and Kid Amazo crashes to a close, and Superboy and Robin must decide how to pick up the pieces of the disastrous Amazo Project. The Super Sons face tomorrow in this latest chapter of their journey together! 32 pg, $3.99 FINAL ISSUE
SUICIDE SQUAD #41-42 [5/9, 5/23] Written by ROB WILLIAMS Art by JOSE LUIS and JORDI TARRAGONA; #41: “CONSTRICTION” part one! Batman has broken Deadshot out of Belle Reve! Now the Dark Knight and the assassin who never misses have a new mission: rescue Deadshot’s daughter from the clutches of Kobra! But Amanda Waller’s not having it, and she’s determined to drag her prisoner back at any cost! #42: “CONSTRICTION” part two! Cornered by the Suicide Squad, Deadshot won’t allow anything to stand in the way of him saving his daughter—not even his Task Force X teammates! 32 pg, $2.99
SECONDARY DC BOOKS
DC NATION #0 [5/2] BATMAN wedding prelude written by TOM KING with art by CLAY MAN; JUSTICE LEAGUE: NO JUSTICE PRELUDE written by SCOTT SNYDER, JAMES TYNION IV and JOSHUA WILLIAMSON with art by JORGE JIMENEZ; MAN OF STEEL prelude written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS with art by JOSE LUIS GARCIA-LOPEZ; Just in time for Free Comic Book Day, this special comic priced at just $0.25 US features three brand-new stories from a lineup of superstar talent—and each tale serves as a prelude to some of the biggest DC events of 2018! First, find out how The Joker reacts when he discovers Catwoman has turned her back on crime and plans to marry his archnemesis. Can the Clown Prince of Crime stand to see Batman happy? Writer Tom King and artist Clay Mann set up the events that lead to BATMAN #50! Then, DARK NIGHTS: METAL shook the DC Universe to its deepest foundations—now it’s time to rejoin legendary writer Scott Snyder, along with all-star artist Jorge Jimenez and co-writers James Tynion IV and Joshua Williamson, for the prelude to JUSTICE LEAGUE: NO JUSTICE! Discover what universe-shattering mysteries have emerged from the most wondrous and chaotic corners of the cosmos to hunt the Justice League in DC’s summer blockbuster event! And get your first glimpse at Superman’s new world in this exclusive preview of the upcoming six-issue miniseries MAN OF STEEL, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by José Luis García-López. With Truth, Justice and the American Way all under attack, both Superman and Clark Kent find there’s never been a more important time to stand up for what they believe in. 32 pg, $0.25
BATMAN: SINS OF THE FATHER #4 [5/16] Written by CHRISTOS GAGE Art and cover by RAFFAELE IENCO; With Batman unable to bring Deadshot to justice, Bruce Wayne decides to confront Deadshot’s alter ego, Floyd Lawton. It’s a high-stakes chess game between two men who are dark mirror images of each other: rich, orphans, men who’ve built themselves to the peak of their skills, but in drastically opposite ways. Can Bruce outwit—and if necessary, outfight—Lawton, or has he walked into his enemy’s killing ground? 32 pg, $2.99, 4 of 6, DIGITAL FIRST
BOMBSHELLS UNITED #17-18 [5/2, 5/16] Written by MARGUERITE BENNETT • Art by SIYA OUM (#17) and DAVID HAHN (#18); #17: The final chapter of the BOMBSHELLS epic begins! An invasion from beyond the stars comes crashing down upon a world at war, and all must unite before everything humanity is, and was, and could be, is lost—forever! #18: An armada from beyond the skies led by a mad queen descends to take revenge on a world divided! 32 pg, $2.99, DIGITAL FIRST
INJUSTICE 2 #25-26 [5/16, 5/30] Written by TOM TAYLOR Art by DANIEL SAMPERE (#25) and BRUNO REDONDO (#26) and JUAN ALBARRAN (#26);#25: Supergirl and Blue Beetle share a secret on the moon. And in Gorilla City, King Solovar questions his alliance with Ra’s al Ghul, while Ra’s’ own forces begin to fracture and his daughter is about to go rogue. Meanwhile, Batman and Wonder Woman have a showdown. #26: With their immediate crisis behind them, Batman holds a meeting with his fellow heroes to get back to the business of rebuilding the world. But a crisis at Wayne Manor calls him home. There’s a rogue agent still on the loose, putting Alfred and Catwoman in grave danger. 32 pg, $2.99, DIGITAL FIRST
