DC Comics’ winter line up continues in December with new titles, special releases, and a few creative team switch-ups. The Batman Universe will be seeing some of these changes and marking a few landmark events for the citizens (and capes) of Gotham. Here are some of the notable releases to look out for.
There are a few new series we previously learned about that will make their debut in December. The Batman Who Laughs will be returning in his own series as Bruce Wayne struggles to deal with the effects of the Dark Knights: Metal storyline and the terrifying things that have crawled out of the Dark Multiverse. Meanwhile, another series we just learned would be happening, Batman and the Outsiders, will see Batman team up with Black Lightning and his team (The Signal, Katana, and Orphan) in an attempt to maintain order and keep the Dark Knight on the straight and narrow.
We get a personal look into the life of Batman’s most loyal companion in the latest Batman Annual. The issue is written from the perspective of Alfred Pennyworth and promises to answer some questions about what it’s really like to be the righthand man of a billionaire with a danger-ridden double life. Harley Quinn will celebrate the holiday season with a holiday special out on December 5. Archie Meets Batman ’66 returns in December after not being solicited in November.
There are a couple of creator changes to be noted for December. The creative team of Mister Miracle will be reunited as Tom King and Mitch Gerads give life to a special issue in Batman #61. Peter Tomasi and Doug Mahnke take up Detective Comics #994 as a new creative team. The new talent will revisit an iconic Batman moment, offering a twisted take Thomas and Martha Wayne’s murder scene. Over in Harley Quinn, Mark Russell will write the second issue for the month as a guest on the title.
DC introduces a new generation of creative talent in their New Talent Showcase. New writers and artists have tried their hand at classic DC characters including Batman, Catwoman and many more. The showcase features the work of creators from DC’s Talent Workshop; an intense program run by DC to help develop the skills of up and coming talent in the comic world.
While looking over the detailed solicits below, you may notice that there is a large group of books that are not listed which would typically be releasing. These titles are the ones the typically release during the fourth week of the month. Due to a shipping skip week from Diamond Direct, these titles will release on January 2 while December 26 will have no new comics in stores. Seven titles TBU typically covers are included in the group moving into January.
Finally, even with the last week of the month not having any new issues, there are still other DC titles that will be featuring TBU characters. Deathstroke continues the story in Arkham Asylum and Damage will feature the title character facing off against the Justice League.
Check out the gallery of some of the covers coming in December and the full details on the releases below. Let us know which books you are the most excited for this month!
BATMAN BOOKS
BATMAN #60 [12/5] Written by TOM KING, art by MIKEL JANIN; Batman takes on a new partner, and it’s…the Penguin? After rejecting Bane’s crime-boss co-op, Cobblepot finds himself in the crosshairs of some very teed-off villains. The feathered felon turns to his old foe to snitch on Bane’s scheme, but has to prove his intentions to avoid a Bat-beatdown. Along the way, this Gotham odd couple begins to bond—could there be a new bird joining the Bat-Family? Not if Bane has anything to say about it… $3.99, 32 PAGES
BATMAN #61 [12/19] Written by TOM KING, art by MITCH GERADS; The Eisner-winning creative team behind MISTER MIRACLE is back together as artist Mitch Gerads rejoins the Bat team for a special issue! Professor Pyg is loose in Gotham, and you know that means things are going to get weird…and bloody.! $3.99, 32 PAGES
BATMAN ANNUAL #3 [12/12] Written by TOM TAYLOR, art by OTTO SCHMIDT; “THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PENNY!” Alfred Pennyworth has been Batman’s most trusted ally and confidant since the Dark Knight first hit the streets of Gotham City. Now, witness Batman’s battle for justice from Alfred’s perspective and learn how harrowing that journey has been as Batman experiences one of the worst nights Gotham City has ever seen—a night that will push Alfred to the breaking point! Best-selling writer Tom Taylor presents an epic tale that promises to be one of the most Alfred stories ever told! $4.99, 48 PAGES
DETECTIVE COMICS #994 [12/12] Written by PETER J. TOMASI, art by DOUG MAHNKE and JAIME MENDOZA; Batman’s strangest case begins as the new creative team of writer Peter J. Tomasi and artist Doug Mahnke take over DETECTIVE COMICS! Commissioner Gordon calls in the Dark Knight Detective when there’s a murder at the Gotham City Aquarium—staged to look exactly like Thomas and Martha Wayne’s crime scene, right down to the Playbill and pearls. How does this bizarre homicide tie into the shadowy monster that attacks Dr. Leslie Thompkins? This creature looks to wage a war on Batman—and it’s using Joker Gas to do it! $3.99, 32 PAGES
THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #1 [12/12] Written by SCOTT SNYDER, art by JOCK; “A Batman who laughs is a Batman who always wins.” Left rattled by the events of DARK NIGHTS: METAL, Bruce Wayne must come face to face with the nightmares spawned from the Dark Multiverse. But even though evil devoured evil in the collapse of Challengers Mountain, the Dark Knight still has his doubts. He discovers that the Batman Who Laughs not only survived the fight with The Joker at the end of METAL, but now he is enacting a sinister plan across the Multiverse—something both terrifying and oddly familiar. But when Bruce Wayne realizes the only way to stop this madman is to kill him, he must consider violating the very rule Batman won’t break…the same rule that created this insatiable villain—the Batman Who Laughs! $4.99, 32 PAGES, 1 of 6
ARCHIE MEETS BATMAN ’66 #5 [12/5] Written by JEFF PARKER and MICHAEL MORECI, art by DAN PARENT, J. BONE, KELLY FITZPATRICK and JACK MORELLI; With the Gotham villains set to take over Riverdale, it’s up to Archie and his pals ‘n’ gals to work together with Batman to save their town! But will they be able to go toe-to-toe against their own parents and teachers? $3.99, 32 PAGES, 5 of 6
BATMAN: KINGS OF FEAR #5 [12/19] Written by SCOTT PETERSON, art by KELLEY JONES; Scarecrow’s endgame is in sight! He has created a world without Batman for the Caped Crusader to be tortured by. It’s a world controlled by crime, where fear always wins! $3.99, 32 PAGES, 5 of 6
GREATER GOTHAM
BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #1 [12/12] Written by BRYAN HILL, art by DEXTER SOY; When the quest for justice drives Batman into some morally ambiguous areas, he calls in the most moral man he knows: Jefferson Pierce, a.k.a. Black Lightning, and his team of operatives known as the Outsiders! Several years ago Batman personally put the Barrera family into hiding after they suffered through terrible experiments at the hands of an organization called the Ark. Now all but one of them has turned up dead…and Batman needs to locate Sofia Barrera before the wrong people get their hands on her—and her surprising power! But it wouldn’t be Batman without a hidden agenda, would it? And when Black Lightning, Katana, the Signal and Orphan find out what Batman is really up to, their every loyalty will be called into question! $3.99, 32 PAGES
CATWOMAN #6 [12/12] Written by JOELLE JONES, art by JOELLE JONES; Selina’s forced into a seriously sinister Sopranos-style sit-down! While the cops continue to hunt her for a murder she didn’t commit, Catwoman’s forced to take a meeting with secretive crime boss Mrs. Creel. Here’s the pitch: work for us or die! Selina counters with some blackmail of her own, but the offer fails to blow away Creel and her meta-crew. That leads to a breakneck chase that drives Catwoman right into the crosshairs of the local authorities. $3.99, 32 PAGES
HARLEY QUINN #55 [12/5] Written by SAM HUMPHRIES, art by JOHN TIMMS; It’s a Harley ho-ho-holiday special! Nothing’s worse than spending the holidays with your uninvited, unannounced family—just ask Harley. Her brothers won’t stop fighting, her dad wants peace and quiet, and her mom just wants everyone to get along. But the dysfunctional family dynamic masks a major secret that the whole Quinn family is keeping from Harley. Will the big reveal mean an even bigger family blowout, or can Harley’s clan end their squabbling and remember the true meaning of the season? $3.99, 32 PAGES
HARLEY QUINN #56 [12/19] Written by guest writer MARK RUSSELL, art by MIRKA ANDOLFO; It’s Harley Quinn—crazy cat lady! Seems one of Harley’s tenants used to be a small-time, cat-themed crook, but now is just a lonely retiree hoarding felines in his apartment. Gross! Harley takes it upon herself to find homes for the “cat burglars,” but in trying to get them adopted, she runs afoul of the local pet store, “Men O’Paws.” But who’s gonna feed the kitties while Harley fights this turf war? And more importantly, who’ll clean their litter box? $3.99, 32 PAGES
NIGHTWING #54-55 [12/5, 12/19] Written by SCOTT LOBDELL, art by CHRIS MOONEYHAM (#54) and TRAVIS MOORE (#55); #54: The repercussions of the cataclysmic events of BATMAN #55 continue as a scarred Dick Grayson has given up his vigilante persona in favor a normal existence. A new job, new friends, new life—all are compromised when a safehouse full of old Nightwing gear falls into the wrong hands. Confronted with a past he’s worked so desperately to escape, will Dick Grayson answer the challenge by becoming Nightwing…or something else? The newest chapter in the evolution of Dick Grayson reaches its next level! #55: The repercussions of the cataclysmic events of BATMAN #55 continue as a scarred Dick Grayson has given up his vigilante persona in favor a normal existence. A new job, new friends, new life—all are compromised when a safehouse full of old Nightwing gear falls into the wrong hands. Confronted with a past he’s worked so desperately to escape, will Dick Grayson answer the challenge by becoming Nightwing…or something else? The newest chapter in the evolution of Dick Grayson reaches its next level! $3.99, 32 PAGES
RED HOOD: OUTLAW #29 [12/5] Written by SCOTT LOBDELL, art by PETE WOODS; Batwoman joins the fight! Both Kate and Jason find themselves exiled from Gotham for taking the law into their own hands. But just because they both angered Batman doesn’t make them allies…does it? Maybe not, but both are on the trail of a rogue player in the Underlife—the secret cabal of criminal conspirators who play by a shared set of rules—and teaming up could be the only way to take him down. What’s actually hiding under the seemingly perfect surface of Appleton? The Red Hood might not live to expose it! $3.99, 32 PAGES
GREATER DC UNIVERSE
ADVENTURES OF THE SUPER SONS #5 [12/5] Written by PETER J. TOMASI, art by CARLO BARBERI and ART THIBERT; The Super Sons need a break!! After the space adventures of the past few issues, Jon (Superboy) and Damian (Robin) take what they think is a peaceful diversion to what winds up being a miracle-machine planet (as tends to happen in deep space). There, they get a look at their potential future selves, including a surprising preview of parenthood! $3.99, 32 PAGES, 5 of 12
DEATHSTROKE #38 [12/5] Written by CHRISTOPHER PRIEST, art by FERNANDO PASARIN; Deathstroke finally meets his match: Arkham Asylum?! Now an inmate, Slade Wilson must prove his sanity so he can stop an alien invasion (what?). Before he can even attempt a breakout, he’s got to face off against angry Arkham inmates out to get him. And what’s Two-Face’s role in all this mayhem? He keeps showing up in two places at once! Meanwhile, Deathstroke’s daughter, Rose Wilson, is kidnapped! Can Jericho save his sister? $3.99, 32 PAGES
JUSTICE LEAGUE #13 [12/5] Written by JAMES TYNION IV, art by GUILLEM MARCH; It’s on—the Totality will totally total the Multiverse! What could possibly go wrong when the Legion of Doom gets their hands on it? Plus, what is the connection between JUSTICE LEAGUE and the new BATMAN WHO LAUGHS miniseries from Scott Snyder and Jock? $3.99, 32 PAGES
JUSTICE LEAGUE #14 [12/19] Written by SCOTT SNYDER and JAMES TYNION IV, art by STEPHEN SEGOVIA, JIM CHEUNG and MARK MORALES; Let’s take a trip to “Hawkworld” in part one of a new Totality-related storyline! Martian Manhunter, John Stewart and Hawkgirl avoided “Drowned Earth” with a detour to Thanagar-Prime: J’onn looks to tap into the ancient Martian mental database, GL struggles while practicing his new UV powers, and Kendra searches for answers about her connection to the Totality. $3.99, 32 PAGES
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #6 [12/12] Written by JAMES TYNION IV, art by DANIEL SAMPERE and JUAN ALBARRAN; The Justice League Dark…trapped in the mystic realm of Myrra! Their jailer? Blue Devil…and he wants revenge on Detective Chimp! Seems Bobo tried to magically resurrect his best friend, the original Nightmaster, but lost control of the spell and filled Myrra with zombies instead. And left Blue Devil behind to get eaten. So BD’s kinda sorta maybe got a reason to be pissed. With that in mind, will Wonder Woman and the rest of the JLD even step up to help Bobo against a raging Blue Devil? That sounds bananas to us. $3.99, 32 PAGES
JUSTICE LEAGUE ODYSSEY #4 [12/19] Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON, art by PHILIPPE BRIONES; Next stop on the Odyssey—Planet Cyborg! The space-faring Justice League travels to a new world that worships Cyborg, and meets a population that’s obsessed with body modification in preparation for a galactic war. Cyborg and Azrael clash over whether to stop the simmering standoff or continue following the clues left behind by Darkseid. Elsewhere, Starfire and Green Lantern Jessica Cruz infiltrate the society’s upper crust in order to decipher the second language on the codex. $3.99, 32 PAGES
SUICIDE SQUAD #49 [12/12] Written by ROB WILLIAMS, art by DIOGENES NEVES; Beneath the ice of the Siberian seas, a final reckoning awaits the Suicide Squad. Amanda Waller has been implanted with her very own brain bomb—with Rick Flag’s finger on the trigger. While Deadshot, Katana, Boomerang, Harley and Croc fight tooth and nail for their very survival, they must also uncover answers to a host of life-and-death questions: What’s the secret hidden within Temho Me4ta prison? Who are the Vets? And who, ultimately, will be the Squad’s final judge, jury and executioner? $3.99, 32 PAGES
TEEN TITANS #25 [12/19] Written by ADAM GLASS, art by ROBSON ROCHA, backup story art by MAX DUNBAR; Learn the secret origin of Crush, daughter of Lobo! When Crush drags Djinn along on a road trip to find an important item from her past, the two get into hijinks that’d make Thelma and Louise jealous. Crush is on the hunt for Obelus, the mysterious alien chain that once protected her as a child, but here’s the kicker—it’s in the possession of a man named Ezekiel, who killed Crush’s adoptive human parents! Plus, in the backup story, learn how Roundhouse got home from space in TEEN TITANS #21! $4.99, 48 PAGES
SECONDARY DC BOOKS
NEW TALENT SHOWCASE 2018 #1 [12/12] Written by PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON, JOEY ESPOSITO, SANYA ANWAR, ROBERT JEFFREY II, MAGDELENE VISAGGIO and RYAN CADY, art by AMANCAY NAHELPAN, PRISCILLA PETRAITES, DOMINIKE “DOMO” STANTON, ANEKE and ISAAC GOODHART; The latest graduates from the DC Talent Development Workshops show off their skills by telling stories about some of DC’s greatest characters including Batman, Catwoman, John Constantine, Wonder Woman, Zatanna and more! $7.99, 80 PAGES
