By the time November hits we’ll be almost done with autumn and ready to settle in for winter and the holidays that it brings. That doesn’t mean DC is releasing any fewer titles than normal as this month sees a crossover event that is timed to lead into the Aquaman film as well as ongoing struggles for Batman thanks to classic villains such as the Scarecrow and Penguin. Let’s dive into the highlights for the month and be sure to check out the full solicitations below.
The big event for November is Aquaman/Justice League: Drowned Earth which will feature two one-shots as well as being told in the pages of Justice League. The focus of the story seems to be on Aquaman and Wonder Woman so we’ll see what role Batman plays in the larger narrative. Over in Detective Comics Batman will be teaming up with Two-Face leading to the Dark Knight investigating the demise of his nemesis while the Penguin makes trouble in the pages of Batman.
Batman: Damned continues with the second of three issues and has Etrigan, Deadman, and other members of the magical world of the DC Universe working both with and against Batman while in Kings of Fear Scarecrow will have Batman in the palm of his hand as he continues to tear into the psyche of the Dark Knight. IDW has solicited the third issue of Batman/The Maxx, while Archie Comics seems to be taking a month off for Archie Meets Batman ’66 as the fifth issue is not part of their solicitations for November. The cover to the latest issue of Doomsday Clock almost promises Superman interacting with Dr. Manhattan.
On the artist side of things, Brett Booth is taking over art duties on Batman Beyond where he will draw the return of the Joker to Neo-Gotham. Mikel Janin returns to Batman after taking about four months off. Joelle Jones returns to art duties on Catwoman after Fernando Blanco covers art in October.
In time for the holidays is the DC Nuclear Winter Special which features stories from writers such as Paul Dini, Steve Orlando and Mairghread Scott all set within a post-apocalyptic DC Universe. Injustice 2 officially comes to an end after the main series ends in October, but an annual will release in November to wrap up the events of the Injustice Universe.
Finally, as we always know, there are TBU characters that appear in other titles. Deathstroke continues his story in Arkham Asylum, which will bring Hugo Strange into the mix. Talia continues to appear in The Silencer and Gentleman Ghost appears in the new Suicide Squad Black Files series.
Check out the gallery of some of the covers coming in November and the full details on the releases below. Let us know which books you are the most excited for this month!
BATMAN BOOKS
BATMAN #58-59 [11/7, 11/21] Written by TOM KING, art and cover by MIKEL JANIN; #58: The Dark Knight waddles into a turf war with the Penguin! Still reeling from the attacks on his Bat-Family and reputation, the Caped Crusader looks to track down the mysterious operator lurking behind the scenes in Gotham City. As the hunt rages on, Batman runs “a fowl” of Oswald Cobblepot. But the Penguin is on Batman’s side for once, and the crime boss sees dangerous things on the horizon. How can he convince the Caped Crusader he’s on the level? #59: Caught between Batman and his unseen enemy, the Penguin has to think on his feet to avoid being taken down by either side. If he chooses one way, he goes to jail; if he chooses the other, he ends up dead. Then again, the choice seems obvious. Is Batman ready for a new kind of avian sidekick? $3.99, 32 PAGES
DETECTIVE COMICS #992-993 [11/14, 11/28] Written by JAMES ROBINSON, art and cover by CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO; #992: There’s a new Dynamic Duo in Gotham City—introducing Batman and Two-Face! What the what?! The Dark Knight is forced to team with old friend and current enemy Harvey Dent to stop a Kobra-sponsored terrorist attack. Can Batman really trust his life to a coin flip? Even worse, Bats and Two-Face are of two minds over recruiting the two Fireflies for help—if Batman’s gonna work with so many villains, he may as well join the Legion of Doom. #993: Two-Face…dead?! Did the multifaceted mafioso really get killed in a massive explosion? Batman’s the detective—let HIM figure it out! And that’s just what the Caped Crusader sets out to do because something’s fishy about Dent’s latest demise. What the Dark Knight uncovers about his former friend not only threatens Gotham City, it’s big enough to threaten the whole world. $3.99, 32 PAGES
BATMAN: DAMNED #2 [11/21] Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO, art and cover by LEE BERMEJO; As Batman’s descent into the madness of Gotham City’s decadent underbelly continues, he must try to exorcise some of his demons…and who better to help than the Demon, Etrigan himself. And where there’s demons, there’s also a Deadman, a Spectre, an Enchantress and a host of other supernatural friends and foes—it’s a veritable Grand Guignol! $6.99, 48 PAGES, 2 of 3
BATMAN: KINGS OF FEAR #4 [11/28] Written by SCOTT PETERSON, art and cover by KELLEY JONES; Scarecrow’s psych evaluation of Batman takes its darkest turn yet, as it completely dismantles the Dark Knight and keeps him from Gotham City! And a threat of immense magnitude will ravish the city unless Batman snaps out of Scarecrow’s control. $3.99, 32 PAGES, 4 of 6
BATMAN/THE MAXX: ARKHAM DREAMS #3 [11/28] Written and art by SAM KIETH With Joker back in Arkham, Maxx runs off into the night. Meanwhile, Batman grows more wary of Dr. Disparu’s experiments. In an effort to unravel the riddles of the Outback (and Disparu), Batman seeks out Julie Winters… and they both enter a dimensional hole leading to the Outback—where they encounter an alternate version of Harley Quinn! Back in the real world, Joker, Harley, and the Penguin are the current subjects of Disparu’s experiments—experiments that have a decidedly bad reaction on the Maxx! $4.99, 36 PAGES, 3 of 5
GREATER GOTHAM
BATGIRL #29 [11/28] Written by MAIRGHREAD SCOTT, art by PAUL PELLETIER and NORM RAPMUND; In the finale of “Art of the Crime,” Batgirl may have uncovered Grotesque’s real plot, but that only means she knows the real danger that faces Jim Gordon and the GCPD! Can Barbara take down Grotesque before he pulls off a massive heist and ruins the GCPD’s rep in the process? Maybe, but it won’t be a paint-by-numbers job! $3.99, 32 PAGES
BATMAN BEYOND #26 [11/28] Written by DAN JURGENS, art by BRETT BOOTH; The Joker’s back—and he wants to turn Batman and Robin into a punchline once and for all! The original Clown Prince of Crime returns to stalk Neo-Gotham in part two of “The Final Joke”! Can you guess what happens when he encounters Barbara Gordon for the first time in decades? And when Robin gets caught on a video feed for the first time, no one’s more delighted than The Joker. $3.99, 32 PAGES
CATWOMAN #5 [11/14] Written by JOELLE JONES, art and cover by JOELLE JONES; A secret hideout is supposed to be just that—secret. So how did her new villain’s criminal crew know where to plant an explosive in Selina’s new pad? As if that blow-up weren’t bad enough, the cops come calling and arrest Selina for murder. Locked up without bail, Catwoman finds that she isn’t very popular in jail, and must fight the other inmates just to stay alive and avoid a shiv. Will she make a deal with her new nemesis, that cagey Creel, or is orange the new black for Selina’s foreseeable future? $3.99, 32 PAGES
HARLEY QUINN #53-54 [11/7-11/21] Written by SAM HUMPHRIES, art by ALISSON BORGES; #53: Harley and failed Female Fury Petite Tina go road-tripping! With their lives a roaring dumpster fire, Harley and Tina decide to get out of town for a mini-vacay, and wind up driving each other crazy instead. An unplanned detour leads them to run afoul of a new baddie called Minor Disaster, whose so-called “Disaster Dial” only causes small calamities such as texting your ex and pooping your pants. Harley and Tina must now put their differences aside to stop Minor Disaster before she spells disaster for them both! #54: Harley and failed Female Fury Petite Tina go road-tripping! With their lives a roaring dumpster fire, Harley and Tina decide to get out of town for a mini-vacay, and wind up driving each other crazy instead. An unplanned detour leads them to run afoul of a new baddie called Minor Disaster, whose so-called “Disaster Dial” only causes small calamities such as texting your ex and pooping your pants. Harley and Tina must now put their differences aside to stop Minor Disaster before she spells disaster for them both! $3.99, 32 PAGES
NIGHTWING #52-53 [11/7-11/21] Written by BENJAMIN PERCY, art by CHRIS MOONEYHAM (#52) and TRAVIS MOORE (#53); #52: Who is Dick Grayson? That’s the question haunting him after the devastating injury he suffered in BATMAN #55. Now, as he continues to struggle physically and emotionally, how can he stand against the terrifying “fear germ” unleashed by the Scarecrow? #53: Who is Dick Grayson? That’s the question haunting him after the devastating injury he suffered in Batman #55. Now, as he continues to struggle physically and emotionally, how can he stand against the terrifying “fear germ” unleashed by the Scarecrow? $3.99, 32 PAGES
OLD LADY HARLEY #2 [11/28] Written by FRANK TIERI, art by INAKI MIRANDA; In this dystopian-future tale, Harley’s quest to find out how The Joker could possibly still be alive has taken her back to their old stomping grounds, but Gotham City is very different nowadays! Nobody’s allowed on the streets without the Batman’s permission—but who is this Batman, anyway? Harley’s only choice is to return to Arkham…the Arkham Home for Criminally Insane Retirees, that is! Fancy a round of bingo with the Riddler? Or some pool aerobics with Killer Croc? $3.99, 32 PAGES, 2 of 5
RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #28 [11/14] Written by SCOTT LOBDELL, art and cover by PETE WOODS; Welcome to the Underlife, Jason Todd—you probably won’t survive! Banished from Gotham City and estranged from the Outlaws, Red Hood takes up residence in Appleton, a would-be American town that’s a secret haven for the criminal operators. When RH gets his hands on a crowbar and starts handing out some bloody justice, it really stirs up the hornet’s nest. And when a new Underlife member is introduced, Jason’s gonna get stung by the trouble he caused. $3.99, 32 PAGES
GREATER DC UNIVERSE
AQUAMAN/JUSTICE LEAGUE: DROWNED EARTH #1 [11/28] Written by SCOTT SNYDER, art by FRANCIS MANAPUL and HOWARD PORTER; “DROWNED EARTH” finale! Aquaman faces the truth behind Atlantis’ past and must find a way to reclaim the power of his birthright or watch the floodwaters drown everything he has ever loved! With the world at stake and the Justice League on their last sea legs in their battle against the Ocean Lords, Arthur makes the ultimate sacrifice to return balance to land and sea! $4.99, 48 PAGES, ONE-SHOT
ADVENTURES OF THE SUPER SONS #4 [11/7] Written by PETER J. TOMASI, art by CARLO BARBERI and ART THIBERT; Jon Kent learns it’s better to be dead than red…Kryptonite, that is! Traveling the cosmos to get home and escape the intergalactic teen baddies known as the Gang, Superboy and Robin wind up on the so-called “Planet of Mystery.” There, Superboy deals with Red Kryptonite exposure, which throws his powers out of whack, while the planet haunts and taunts them both with nightmare creatures. They’ll need to wrap up this rest stop ASAP though, as the Gang is hot on their tails looking for a pound of flesh—which is a lethal amount when you’re a tween! $3.99, 32 PAGES, 4 of 12
DEATHSTROKE #37 [11/7] Written by CHRISTOPHER PRIEST, art by FERNANDO PASARIN; “DEATHSTROKE: ARKHAM” continues! It’s Groundhog Day for Deathstroke. After experiencing a strange encounter with an inmate claiming to be an alien, Slade Wilson wakes up in Arkham Asylum as if nothing happened, and the only person who believes him is Harvey Dent, a.k.a. Two-Face! But can Two-Face be trusted? (Not likely.) And what machinations does Hugo Strange have in store for Deathstroke? $3.99, 32 PAGES
DOOMSDAY CLOCK #8 [11/28] Written by GEOFF JOHNS, art by GARY FRANK; The critical and commercial hit series by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank continues following the shocking revelations of last issue. As the truth behind Dr. Manhattan’s actions against the DC Universe are revealed, Ozymandias turns to the only being who can stop him: Superman. $4.99, 32 PAGES, 8 of 12
HEROES IN CRISIS #3 [11/28] Written by TOM KING, art by CLAY MANN; The Man of Steel versus…Booster Gold?! Superman finds out the hard way that Booster can be a formidable opponent when his back’s against the wall. Of course, being the prime suspect in a superhero massacre and exposing a secret trauma hospital for metahumans will do just that. Meanwhile, Batman and the Flash combine their detective skills to investigate what went awry at Sanctuary and uncover a serious glitch in the system—not to mention an explosive, spoiler-ific secret! $3.99, 32 PAGES, 3 of 7
JUSTICE LEAGUE #11- 12 [11/7-11/21] Written by SCOTT SNYDER (#11) and JAMES TYNION IV (#12), art by FRANCIS MANAPUL (#11) and FRAZER IRVING (#12); #11: “DROWNED EARTH” part two! The Justice League is scattered across the Seven Seas, pursued by the Ocean Lords and their army of alien mercenaries and constantly at risk of turning into fish monsters. You know, just a day at the beach. Their only hope lies in the crippled Aquaman, who believes the road to victory lies in unleashing equally vengeful gods on Earth’s oceans. Meanwhile, Batman guards the Totality in the sunken Hall of Justice, where no one can attack him…or can they? #12: “DROWNED EARTH” part three! It’s Batman, in a full-body cast, versus the Legion of Doom! Get a ringside seat for the craziest fight in comics as a bedridden Batman battles The Joker, Lex Luthor, Gorilla Grodd and Sinestro! Meanwhile, Aquaman locks tridents with Poseidon and Mera discovers an ancient secret that could change the fate of Atlantis—and the entire Earth—forever! $3.99, 32 PAGES
JUSTICE LEAGUE/AQUAMAN: DROWNED EARTH #1 [10/31] Written by JAMES TYNION IV, art and cover by HOWARD PORTER; “Drowned Earth” part one! The Ocean Lords—ancient sea gods with a grudge against Aquaman and Wonder Woman—invade the Earth with an alien army and flood the globe. As Batman, Superman and the Flash race to stop the waters from rising and turning everyone into aquatic monsters, Mera seeks the advice of an old enemy, and Arthur must face down Black Manta…or lose his connection to the ocean forever! $4.99, 48 PAGES, ONE-SHOT
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #5 [11/21] Written by JAMES TYNION IV, art by DANIEL SAMPERE and JUAN ALBARRAN; Wonder Woman’s magic act…banned! The DCU’s magical community collectively freaks out and forbids Wonder Woman and the JL Dark team from meddling in magic anymore after the disastrous events of the “Witching Hour” storyline. The team seeks refuge in the only place they can think of: Detective Chimp’s inherited, magical realm of Myrra—but not everyone is happy to bow to the new Nightmaster! So how can things get worse for the sorcery super-team? One word: dragons! $3.99, 32 PAGES
JUSTICE LEAGUE ODYSSEY #3 [11/28] Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON art and cover by PHILIPPE BRIONES; Another day, another planet…another alien race trying to sacrifice you! Life on the final frontier of the universe heats up for Cyborg, Starfire, Azrael and Green Lantern Jessica Cruz as the team continues their search for the elusive Darkseid and their own connection to the ancient prophecy linking each new planet they explore. But the more the heroes delve into the legends of the Ghost Sector, the more they discover that Darkseid might not be the most dangerous threat to their new home! $3.99 US | 32 PAGES
SUICIDE SQUAD #48 [11/14] Written by ROB WILLIAMS, art by DIOGENES NEVES and SCOTT HANNA ;“SQUAD ON TRIAL” starts here! When Amanda Waller awakens in prison, brain bomb implanted in her head in an ironic twist, there’s only one man who can save her—but does Rick Flag WANT to? Even if Rick could climb out of the whiskey bottle he’s hiding in, swimming in guilt for allowing his former teammates to die, why would he save Waller, when the Task Force X mastermind might be responsible for those very teammates’ deaths? All this while Killer Croc contemplates if life is even worth living… $3.99, 32 PAGES
TEEN TITANS #24 [11/21] Written by ADAM GLASS, art and cover by BERNARD CHANG; The Teen Titans bring the house down in this issue—and it just might crush them to death! Set up by the mysterious villain known as the Other, the Teen Titans find themselves trapped beneath a crumbling building. The only thing between them and a dirt nap: Crush’s bench-pressing the entire complex. But how long can she hold out? The Titans race the clock against gravity, muscle fatigue and getting squashed like a bug. Plus, Damian’s secret mentor is revealed, and Robin realizes there’s a traitor in their midst! $3.99, 32 PAGES
TITANS #29-30 [11/14-11/21] Written by DAN ABNETT, art by MINKYU JUNG; #29: “MAROONED” part one! After their battle with Storrm above the Drowned Earth, the Titans find themselves lost…in space! Stranded on an alien planet—far away from their Earthbound responsibilities, with no means of getting home—they’re forced to fight against an enemy that has been lurking in the shadows since the inception of this version of the Titans: their own inner demons. And maybe some outer demons as well! #30: “MAROONED” part two! Stranded on an alien world with no means of travel, Beast Boy finally succumbs to his more monstrous tendencies and could become the most dangerous thing on an already dangerous planet. The Titans are forced to square off against a savage and gargantuan Garfield! Will the Titans be able to maintain their fractured team in the face of extraterrestrial adversity and sinister secrets coming to light? And even if they can, how on Earth will they ever get back home? $3.99, 32 PAGES
SECONDARY DC BOOKS
DC NUCLEAR WINTER SPECIAL #1 [11/28] Written by PAUL DINI, STEVE ORLANDO, PHIL HESTER, MARK RUSSELL, MAIRGHREAD SCOTT and others, art by CULLY HAMNER, PHIL HESTER, GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI, YASMINE PUTRI and others; The holidays are tough enough as it is, but when you’re living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland (or, you know, 2018) the world can seem bleaker than ever. So do yourself a favor this holiday season, break out your best eggnog and enjoy 10 all-new stories featuring the World’s Greatest Heroes, including looks at the futures of Batman, Superman and the Flash, as well as many more denizens of the DC Universe. $9.99, 80 PAGES, ONE-SHOT
INJUSTICE 2 ANNUAL #2 [11/21] Written by TOM TAYLOR, art by BRUNO REDONDO; Injustice 2 ends here—so as the story segues into/sets up the Injustice 2 video game, we take one final look back. Batman and Superman’s alliance was torn apart years ago by the events of Injustice. But when Bruce Wayne receives unexpected visitors, he is reminded of a happier time when Clark was his savior. A time of the World’s Finest friendship. $4.99, 48 PAGES
INJUSTICE VS. THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE #5 [11/28] Written by TIM SEELEY, art and cover by FREDDIE E. WILLIAMS II; Betrayed by Skeletor and fearing the power Darkseid gained in his attack on Castle Grayskull, Superman takes up arms with his old compatriots. But will their combined might be enough to win a battle against a foe armed with the Anti-Life Equation? $3.99, 32 PAGES, 5 of 6
TEEN TITANS GO! #31 [11/21] Written by MATTHEW K. MANNING and DEREK FRIDOLFS, art by AGNES GARBOWSKA and DEREK FRIDOLFS; When Robin catches Starfire, Raven and Cyborg making paper airplanes, he warns them that they’re dangerously close to unlocking “The Deadliest Art”: origami. Then, the Titans are shunned by social media elites when a bad after-action photo reveals them as “Posers.” Can they finalize a successful stance in time to defeat their next great menace? $2.99, 32 PAGES
