The witching hour is at hand this October when our favorite heroes get a chance to face off against the horrors of the DC Universe. The month looks to be quiet otherwise with most series continuing without any creative team shakeups and only one series reaching its final issue. The Joker gets two unexpected guest appearances which could lead to more tricks than treats for two future heroes. Let’s take a look at some of this month’s highlights.
As previously revealed, Batgirl is moving away from Burnside and back home with her dad. She’ll also be getting a job at GCPD giving her access to the police department’s database which will give our hero a chance to flex her Oracle skills to hunt down Grotesque, assuming her foe doesn’t use her own hacking skills against her. Nightwing hits issue #50 this month and after being injured by KGBeast as Batman, the anniversary issue will delve into Dick’s history of “fear and doubt” and how the Scarecrow factored into both Dick’s decision to become Nightwing as well how he deals with the feelings in the present day. The comic also promises that Scarecrow will be unlike anything we’ve seen before.
Speaking of the return of classic villains, The Joker arrives in the future world of Batman Beyond #25 to take on the new Batman and Robin, which will also see a larger page count and higher price this month. The last time we saw the Clown Prince of Crime in the animated movie Return of the Joker he pushed Terry to the absolute limit while also nearly destroying Tim Drake in the process. Whether this issue nods to the animated series continuity is yet to be seen. Batman Beyond isn’t the only time we’ll see the future version of the Joker as he will also be making an appearance in the Old Lady Harley miniseries which kicks off this month as well.
Secret Files returns this month featuring a host of Batman’s villains and a team-up between the Dark Knight and Detective Chimp. The one-shot will feature a framing story by Tom King while also delving into the mysteries of Batman and his rogues’ gallery. This month also sees the return of more Hanna-Barbera crossovers with a Nightwing one-shot teaming him up with Magilla Gorilla.
Injustice 2 will wrap up the events in the Injustice universe tying together the events of the first and second game complete with a face-off between the heroes and the alliance between Gorilla Grodd and Brainiac. No word yet if there will be a sequel series coming.
In honor of 24-Hour Comics Day on October 6th, DC is releasing a blank Batman comic book that can be used to write and draw your own story, even create your own cover. It’s a neat idea and priced at $2.99. Also being featured this month is the Cursed Comics Cavalcade which is just in time for Halloween. The book will feature Batman along with Swamp Thing, Wonder Woman, Zatanna and more in 10 stories stretching across the spookiest parts of the DC Universe in an 80-page special.
Finally, there are always other characters that pop up in other series that originate from the Batman Universe. If you were expecting the six-part Deathstroke story featuring Batman to be wrapped; you would be right, but now Deathstroke is in Arkham. The Witching Hour crossover between Wonder Woman and Justice League Dark takes place in both issues of Wonder Woman, Justice League Dark, and two one-shots. Over in Damage #10, Damage will be facing off against the Justice League, with an appearance from Batman almost a guarantee.
Check out the gallery of some of the covers coming in October and the full details on the releases below. Let us know which book you’re most excited to read this month!
BATMAN BOOKS
BATMAN #56-57 [10/3, 10/17]Written by TOM KING, art by TONY S. DANIEL #56: The Dark Knight’s looking to drop both the hammer and sickle on the KGBeast, whose rampage across Gotham City takes a toll on Nightwing when he’s injured in the fray. Blaming himself for his ward’s fate, Batman gets grimmer than usual—and vows to take the Russian assassin down like the Berlin Wall. Is even Gotham City ready for that much violence? The streets will run red like borscht if the Dark Knight gets his way against this Soviet scourge. #57: The KGBeast isn’t working alone. As the Cold War between Batman and the Russian killer heats up, Batman’s nose for mystery gets to twitching when he suspects there’s more to the KGBeast’s attacks than initially thought. Not only does this tie back to the court case Bruce Wayne sat on involving Mr. Freeze, there’s another villainous Gotham ghoul in play—but whom? $3.99, 32 PAGES
DETECTIVE COMICS #990-991 [10/10, 10/24]Written by JAMES ROBINSON, #990: Art by STEPHEN SEGOVIA #991: Art and cover by CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO #990: Batman is hot on the trail of a murder suspect, but first he’ll have to get past Two-Face. Even though Harvey Dent seems to be asserting control, how long before he becomes a sociopathic criminal once again? More importantly, what is Dent’s connection to the victim, and what does it all have to do with the terrorist organization of slithering serpents called Kobra?! Whatever it is, it’s big enough to reunite Jim Gordon and former district attorney Harvey Dent, and that meeting alone is worth the cover price. #991: Batman’s newest partner…Two-Face? As Harvey Dent’s persona asserts fragile control over the villain’s psyche, the Dark Knight, Commissioner Gordon and their ally-turned-enemy-turned-ally must work together to stop Kobra’s terrorist attack against Gotham City. $3.99, 32 PAGES
BATMAN SECRET FILES #1 [10/31]Written by TOM KING, JORDIE BELLAIRE, RAM V., CHERYL LYNN EATON and TOM TAYLOR, art by MIKEL JANIN, JORGE FORNES, ELENA CASAGRANDE, BRAD WALKER and others Delve into Batman’s case histories and discover brand-new stories by some of comics’ most exciting talents. The BATMAN team of Tom King and Mikel Janin provides a framing sequence, setting up our hand-picked teams of creators to take a look at Bat-mysteries past and present. Featuring a bevy of Batman villains, including a look at how the Scarecrow’s fear toxin affects the common man, and a special story written by Tom Taylor with art by Brad Walker that teams the Dark Knight Detective with Detective Chimp. ONE SHOT $4.99, 48 PAGES
ARCHIE MEETS BATMAN ’66 #4: [10/31] Written by JEFF PARKER and MICHAEL MORECI, art by DAN PARENT, J. BONE, KELLY FITZPATRICK AND LAURA ALLRED In Gotham, it’s Jughead vs. the Joker! Meanwhile, back in Riverdale, all the boys are under the spell of the mysterious new teacher. With the heroes in the throes of a death trap will Batman be able to save Riverdale before it’s too late? $3.99, 32 PAGES, 4 of 6
BATMAN BLANK COMIC #1 [10/03]Celebrate “24-Hour Comics Day” with the BATMAN BLANK COMIC! You can write and draw your very own adventure of the Dark Knight in this 16-page comic, which features uncoated 80-pound paper (the same stock used on DC’s blank variant covers) that’s ideal for drawing on! $2.99, 16 PAGES
BATMAN: KINGS OF FEAR #3 [10/24] Written by SCOTT PETERSON, art and cover by KELLEY JONES There’s nothing to fear but fear itself—unless, of course, the Scarecrow is trying to scare all of Gotham City to death with his fear gas! Dr. Jonathan Crane has undergone an intense therapy session in order to “cure” Batman of his various psychoses. That involves Batman and Scarecrow battling through the streets of Gotham City, with the Caped Crusader not knowing what’s real and what’s fake. Can Batman handle this sudden influx of personal demons into his psyche? Or will the next cell in Arkham Asylum be reserved for Bruce Wayne? $3.99, 32 PAGES, 3 of 6
BATMAN/THE MAXX: ARKHAM DREAMS #2 [10/24] Written and art by SAM KIETHÂ Our surreal journey with Batman and Maxx continues into the deepest, darkest depths of Arkham! Maxx is locked in the most notorious asylum of them all and finds himself hopscotching one at a time through the secret spirit planes-‘Outbacks’-of the most notorious villains in Batman’s famed rogues gallery-this time featuring the master of mirth and mayhem, the JOKER!? First new The Maxx story in more than a decade! $4.99, 32 PAGES, 2 of 5
GREATER GOTHAM
BATGIRL #28 [10/24]Written by MAIRGHREAD SCOTT, art by PAUL PELLETIER and NORM RAPMUND Even millennial superheroes are moving back in with their parents! While recovering from the injuries she suffered battling Grotesque, Barbara Gordon’s been living with her police commissioner dad while she recuperates. To get Barbara out of her funk, Jim Gordon hires her to do some I.T. grunt work at the GCPD. Unfortunately, he just gave full security clearance to one of the best hackers on the planet! Batgirl now has access to the police database in hopes of capturing Grotesque…who also seems to be using the database as well! Is this an inside job? $3.99, 32 PAGES
BATMAN BEYOND #25 [10/24] Written by DAN JURGENS, art by CULLY HAMNERIn this special oversize issue, legendary DC scribe Dan Jurgens is joined by superstar artist Cully Hamner (Batman and The Signal) to bring back the biggest baddie of them all in “The Final Joke.” The dedication of a new building commemorating a special Wayne family event—the 100th birthday of Thomas Wayne—brings out all of Neo-Gotham’s familiar faces, including one who was definitely not on the guest list. The Joker makes his long-awaited return to Neo-Gotham, and no one is safe! Will he strike at Batman, Robin, Commissioner Barbara Gordon or the original Caped Crusader himself, Bruce Wayne? Decades after his last fight with the Dark Knight, the Clown Prince of Crime returns home to take his city back once and for all. $4.99, 48 PAGES
CATWOMAN #4 [10/03]Written by JOELLE JONES, art by FERNANDO BLANCO Things have gone from bad to worse for Selina in Villa Hermosa. Her new city has taken away what little she was able to carry with her from Gotham, and her rap sheet offers scant protection when local crooks frame her for murdering two police officers. The law has caught up with her and Catwoman is in the clink, giving her time to reflect on her life and all the things that led her to Vila Hermosa. Turns out she didn’t choose the move randomly or just to get away from the Batman. This special interlude issue takes us back in time to explode some previously unknown truth bombs from Selina Kyle’s past. BATWOMAN artist Fernando Blanco joins Joëlle Jones to explore a couple of the early versions of Catwoman’s nine lives. $3.99, 32 PAGES
HARLEY QUINN #51-52 [10/3, 10/17]Written by SAM HUMPHRIES, art by SAMI BASRI #51: Harley broke most of DCU continuity last issue, and in this ish, she’s dealing with the fallout, namely the time-tossed hero of World War II called Captain Triumph! The golden boy of the Golden Age finds his black-and-white approach failing miserably in the gray areas of the modern world (although unfortunately, there are still plenty of fascists for him to punch). It’s up to Harley to return Captain Triumph to his own time, but she’ll have to put the kibosh on his do-gooding first—right after she figures out what “kibosh” means! #52: Trapped in a future he doesn’t understand, Captain Triumph can’t battle his way out of our modern world, as all his efforts lead to disaster. That causes him to butt heads and trade punches with his would-be protector, Harley Quinn. Can Harley talk her way out of this clash? And more importantly, where’s she getting a time machine so she can send Captain Triumph home? $3.99, 32 PAGES
NIGHTWING #50 [10/3]Written by BENJAMIN PERCY, art by CHRIS MOONEYHAM and TRAVIS MOORE “Knight Terrors” begins here! The big issue #50 kicks off an epic four-part story that brings together critical moments of fear and doubt from the past and the present. A young Dick Grayson hopes to escape the shadow of the Bat and earn the title of Nightwing, while an older Dick Grayson must deal with a blow he did not see coming. A common enemy unites the timelines: the Scarecrow, as you’ve never seen him before! This story goes deep into the mythology and nightmarish development of Dr. Jonathan Crane. $4.99, 48 PAGES
NIGHTWING #51 [10/17]Written by BENJAMIN PERCY, art by CHRIS MOONEYHAM and TRAVIS MOORE And while Nightwing struggles to uncover the truth behind the “fear germ” that is killing people in their sleep, he must also try to overcome his own sudden struggles with heights and vertigo. He has lost his primary skill set as a hero and will have to focus on his brilliance as a detective instead. And a distracting love triangle certainly isn’t helping him focus…This new storyline spins out of events in BATMAN #55. Don’t miss the start of a new direction in Nightwing’s crimefighting career! $3.99, 32 PAGES
NIGHTWING/MAGILLA GORILLA SPECIAL #1 [10/31] Written by HEATH CORSON, art by TOM GRUMMETT When a famous Hollywood talent agent is found brutally murdered, suspicion and evidence seem to point to his most famous client, Oscar-winning actor Magilla Gorilla. Dick Grayson, already in Tinseltown to meet with said agent, senses something suspicious. Donning his Nightwing costume and joining forces with the simian suspect, he’s got one night to prove that this monkey doesn’t belong in a cage. Plus, part three of a Secret Squirrel backup story written by J.M. DeMatteis. ONE-SHOT $4.99, 48 PAGES
OLD LADY HARLEY #1 [10/24] Written by FRANK TIERI, art and cover by MAURICET After liberating New York City from her now-feral Gang of Harleys, poor Harley wants nothing more than to slip back into retirement in her coastal (and heavily guarded) paradise. But the Laughing Boys Gang has another idea—they’ll follow her to the ends of the Earth, to drag her back to their leader! It can’t actually be…him! Right?! He couldn’t possibly still be alive, could he? After all…Harley killed him herself with her bare hands! Should she turn to President Power Girl for help? Or flee to the 51st state, Atlantis? Step into an insane vision of a future DC Universe we all better hope we don’t live to see! $3.99, 32 PAGES, 1 of 5
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #27 [10/10]Written by SCOTT LOBDELL, art and enhanced foil cover by PETE WOODS Everything changed for the Red Hood last issue. This time around, everything changes for Jason Todd! Devoid of partners and exiled from Gotham City, Jason gets a fateful message from the last person he expected to see again. The news he learns leaves him with no choice but to don the Red Hood mask once more and double down on his two-fisted crimefighting approach. Pray for whoever gets in Jason’s way as “The Outlaw” kicks into high gear. $3.99, 32 PAGES
GREATER DC UNIVERSE
ADVENTURES OF THE SUPER SONS #3 [10/3]Â Written by PETER J. TOMASI, art by CARLO BARBERI and ART THIBERTÂ The Super Sons find themselves tumbling through space and time without so much as a GPS to guide them! Having battled the intergalactic group of teen hoodlums known as the Gang, Superboy and Robin barely escape. However, they do end up having a shootout with gunslingers on a Western-like world before engaging in a swordfight to save a princess on a medieval-like planet. The Sons need to find their way back to Earth before the Gang does a planetary smash-and-grab with the whole planet! $3.99, 32 PAGES, 3 of 12
DEATHSTROKE #36 [10/3] Written by CHRISTOPHER PRIEST, art by ED BENES “Deathstroke: Arkham” starts here! After being declared criminally insane, Deathstroke is committed to the infamous Arkham Asylum! It isn’t long before the hunter becomes the hunted as Slade, powerless and weaponless, is targeted by some of Gotham City’s most wanted. But after initially mocking and contravening the system meant to help him, Deathstroke learns that his only hope for survival may be to confront his own inner demons. $3.99, 32 PAGES
HEROES IN CRISIS #2 [10/24] Written by TOM KING, art and cover by CLAY MANN Suspected of murder, [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] find themselves on the run from the super-hospital called Sanctuary —with each thinking the other one is the real killer! It’s up to Batman to solve this heinous crime, but suspicion falls on him when Superman and Wonder Woman ponder just how much Sanctuary’s A.I. is telling them. Meanwhile, [REDACTED] tries to make a shady deal to hide from the Trinity, while [REDACTED] searches out an old friend to help him out of this mess—and only gets deeper in trouble. $3.99, 32 PAGES, 2 of 7
JUSTICE LEAGUE #9-10 [10/03, 10/17]Written by SCOTT SNYDER #9: Art and cover by JORGE JIMENEZ #10: Art and enhanced foil cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL #9: THE ROAD TO “DROWNED EARTH”! Superman and Batman can’t agree on how to put back the moon—you know, the one that went missing in issue #1. On the other hand, Wonder Woman and Aquaman have faith in each other, working together on a new addition to the Hall of Justice. Martian Manhunter takes Hawkgirl under his wing to test out the limits of her recently broken wing, and Flash and Green Lantern get up to some hijinks in the Hall’s cafeteria. Can you say super food fight?! #10: THE ROAD TO “DROWNED EARTH”! When Wonder Woman learns that Cheetah gained new powers and killed the Greek sea god, Poseidon, that sets Aquaman off on a search for answers, bringing him into conflict with an entity known as the Flood, a herald for long-dead ocean gods with an ancient grudge against Poseidon, Atlantis and, well, everyone else on Earth. Who are those guys? Some very big fish—and you know what big fish do? Eat smaller fish like Aquaman and his Justice League buddies! $3.99, 32 PAGES
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #4 [10/17] Written by JAMES TYNION IV, art by ALVARO MARTINEZ and RAUL FERNANDEZ “The Witching Hour” part three! Everything the Justice League Dark thought they knew about Wonder Woman and Hecate has proven to be wrong…and the Parliament of Trees is about to pay the price! Hecate knows this world isn’t strong enough to resist the Otherkind, so she’s going to burn it down and replace it with a world of her own…starting with that ancient grove! $3.99, 32 PAGES
JUSTICE LEAGUE ODYSSEY #2 [10/24] Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON, art and enhanced foil cover by STJEPAN SEJIC Cyborg, Starfire, Green Lantern Jessica Cruz and Azrael debate whether so-called “God of Evil” Darkseid should have joined the team. (Too late—that evil horse has left the barn!) But before the team can resolve this conflict, they’re forced into action when Vril Dox takes an interest in the Coluan refugees, attacking their ship with a new Manhunter army of his own creation. ’Cuz more violence is always the answer! $3.99, 32 PAGES
SUICIDE SQUAD #47 [10/10] Written by ROB WILLIAMS, art by PHILIPPE BRIONES While the rest of the Suicide Squad is busy with their undersea exploits in Atlantis, Amanda Waller ships Captain Boomerang down under on a mission to save his home country! Someone’s planted nukes all across Australia, and it’s up to Boomerang to hunt them down with an old friend from the Australian Secret Service. It’s one last mission as Captain Boomerang: Agent of Oz, and he’s got a license to give a bloke a right kicking! $3.99, 32 PAGES
TEEN TITANS #23 [10/17]Â Written by ADAM GLASS, art by BERNARD CHANG The Teen Titans head to Gotham City, where they must thwart a plot to assassinate Commissioner Gordon! So who is the mysterious figure giving Robin his intel, and how does he know so much? Speaking of Robin, is he developing real feelings for the magical Djinn, or is he falling under the spell of her mystical ring? Meanwhile, more secrets come to light and more drama unfolds, putting Kid Flash and Red Arrow at odds! $3.99, 32 PAGES
TITANS #27-28 [10/10, 10/24] Written by DAN ABNETT, #27: Art by BRENT PEEPLES and MATT SANTORELLI #28: Art by CLAYTON HENRY #27: Newly awakened metahuman Ionbound suffers a fateful transformation that rocks the Titans team to their core. If they can’t save these Source Wall victims, what good is their latest mission? But does this development hold the key to helping them? Or is it a harbinger of more death and destruction to come? That’s a lot of questions to answer; good thing there are two issues this month to cover all that ground! #28: Then, in a tie-in to the road to “Drowned Earth,” the Titans get a visit from an old teammate when Atlantean mage Tempest guest-stars in the ish. What’s got Garth’s fishnets in a twist? He’s there to help the new Titans lineup take on a major oceanic threat, whose attack comes straight out of the pages of Justice League and Aquaman. Guess you could say that prelude “spills over” into TITANS this month. $3.99, 32 PAGES
CURSED COMICS CAVALCADE #1 [10/10]Â Written by JAMES TYNION IV, BECKY CLOONAN, BRYAN HILL, TIM SEELEY, RILEY ROSSMO GARY DAUBERMAN and others, art by MARK BUCKINGHAM, BECKY CLOONAN, RILEY ROSSMO, RICCARDO FEDERICI and others Horror! Death! Uh…Face-punching! Witness ten all-new stories that promise to be the most terrifying, most shocking and most horrific comic that DC Comics has ever published! (Hyperbole much?) Batman, Wonder Woman, Guy Gardner, Swamp Thing, Zatanna and more of your favorite heroes face unspeakable horrors from the streets of Gotham City to the darkest sectors of the universe. $9.99, 80 PAGES
SECONDARY DC BOOKS
INJUSTICE 2 #35-36 [10/3, 10/17]Written by TOM TAYLOR, art by DANIEL SAMPERE, BRUNO REDONDO and JUAN ALBARRAN #35: Gorilla Grodd forms a deadly alliance and leads an uprising to take out King Solovar and conquer Gorilla City. Against the backdrop of all hell breaking loose, the Suicide Squad decides it would be a good idea for teammates Killer Croc and Orca to get married! Love and death reign side by side as the series draws toward its conclusion. #36: Events align leading up to the storyline in the Injustice 2 video game. Gorilla Grodd takes center stage as Earth’s deadliest menace, while secretly in the service of the intergalactic menace known as Brainiac. Which heroes will survive to face him? And what role might the imprisoned Superman play as events come to a head? $2.99, 32 PAGES, FINAL ISSUE
INJUSTICE VS. MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #4 [10/17] Written by TIM SEELEY, art and cover by FREDDIE E. WILLIAMS II Superman scoured the Multiverse for heroes who might threaten his rule—but he dismissed Prince Adam. Will he rue that decision now that he’s facing He-Man in the Oracle? Plus, Darkseid’s attack on Eternia has reached the walls of Castle Grayskull! $3.99, 32 PAGES, 4 of 6
