Batman titles continue to dwindle in April, a trend started in March. The few titles that remain, though, are all going through some significant moment, be it a creative change, crossover, end of arc or start of a new story point.
For its first issue after the landmark of #1000, Detective Comics will be bringing the Arkham Knight to regular continuity, a clash of continuities that may leave us all wondering how could he possibly exist. For this arc, the art team of Doug Mahnke and Jaime Mendoza will be replaced by Brad Walker and Andrew Hennessy.
Over in Batman, the last issues of Knightmares arc release, including Amanda Conner as the artist for a Catwoman focused storyline in #68 and Yanick Paquette for the final one, taking place inside Arkham Asylum.
In the group titles, Teen Titans and Deathstroke continue the “Terminus Agenda” crossover that will start in March. Justice League promisses to shake the DC Universe – again – with an issue written by James Tynion IV and illustrated by Francis Manapul, a change from the usual team of Scott Snyder and Jorge Jimenez. Despite TBU not covering the title anymore, the cancellation of Titans after issue #36 is also worth mentioning.
As for the Bat-Family, Batgirl #34 will be sending Barbara back to Burnside after a fallout with her father. Sami Basri will be taking art duties in place of Paul Pelletier for this issue. Over in Nightwing, while the Ric storyline continues, Dan Abnett will be replacing Scott Lobdell as the writer for the title, with Chris Mooneyham returning to art.
Check out the gallery of some of the covers coming in April and the full details on the releases below. Let us know which books you are the most excited for this month.
BATMAN BOOKS
BATMAN #68 [04/03] Written by TOM KING, art by AMANDA CONNER; Batman is making his way to the end of his Knightmares, but his unseen enemy has a few more tricks up his sleeve. It’s time once again to stick a knife into the Caped Crusader’s broken heart, letting the groom-that-could-have-been peer in on the bachelorette (or should that be “Catchelorette”?) party that never was. Artist Amanda Conner (Harley Quinn) rejoins the Bat-family for this month’s special story—because who else you gonna invite to a shindig like this? $3.99, 32 Pages
BATMAN #69 [04/17] Written by TOM KING, art by YANICK PAQUETTE; The Dark Knight is breaking through the bad dreams and coming out the other side. But is he ready for the culprit waiting through the veil of terror? And what lasting effects might this whole ordeal have on Bruce Wayne’s psyche? With artist Yanick Paquette (WONDER WOMAN: EARTH ONE) jumping on board to tackle the art, “Knightmares” comes to a shocking close. This will be the strangest issue yet—a no-holds-barred journey through Bat-man’s psyche via the inner workings of Arkham Asylum, setting up the next big chapter of Tom King’s epic BATMAN tale. Batman’s future starts now! $3.99, 32 Pages
DETECTIVE COMICS #1001-1002 [04/10, 04/24] Written by PETER J. TOMASI, art by BRAD WALKER and ANDREW HENNESSY; #1001: After 1,000 issues, you’d think Batman could finally have a break…but no: as a new era dawns, he’s facing the most dangerous threat of his career! The Arkham Knight has arrived in Gotham City with an entire round table of deadly allies, and their first encounter will leave Batman shaken to his core! #1002: Batman’s first battle with the Arkham Knight was as brutal as they come…but things are about to get worse, as one of his most important allies jumps into the fray, and ends up in far over their head! $3.99, 32 Pages
THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #4 [04/10] Written by SCOTT SNYDER, art by JOCK; Batman is on a desperate hunt through Gotham City, tracking down the dark version of himself known as the Grim Knight. But the serum Batman’s been self-administering has started to transform his mind, making him into something much darker…something amoral…something like the Batman Who Laughs—and he’s starting to lose his grip on reality. Toeing the line between vengeance and justice, Batman must struggle to keep his moral code as the Grim Knight gains control of the Batcave, sending all of his vehicles and weapons on a collision course with Gotham City. The Grim Knight, the Batman Who Laughs, even allies like Jim Gordon and his son force Batman to pull the trigger…and activate the Last Laugh. Will Batman be the savior of Gotham City once more? Or is he the kill shot? $4.99, 32 Pages, 4 of 6
GREATER GOTHAM
BATGIRL #34 [04/24] Written by MAIRGHREAD SCOTT, art by PAUL PELLETIER and NORM RAPMUND; When Barbara Gordon confronts her father about James Jr.’s return to Gotham City, the stress between them causes the two to finally break apart. As a result, Babs has to move into her own apartment…but her celebration is cut short when her check bounces! Batgirl returns to Burnside to find out if you really can go home again—spoiler alert: you can’t when the Terrible Trio has taken over! $3.99, 32 Pages
BATMAN BEYOND #31 [04/24] Written by DAN JURGENS, art by RICK LEONARDI and WADE VON GRAWBADGER; With a series of spectacular high-tech heists, a mysterious new villain known as the Splitt is preying on Neo-Gotham. Only Batman is capable of stopping him, yet Terry McGinnis wants nothing more than to get his life back to normal after his destructive battle with The Joker. Making this even more difficult is the strange, enigmatic fate of Bruce Wayne! $3.99, 32 Pages
CATWOMAN #10 [04/10] Written by JOELLE JONES, art by FERNANDO BLANCO; Asking the question, “Who is Selina Kyle?” has gotten folks hurt in the past…but this time it’s Selina asking about herself. Meanwhile, the disgraced Creel family are marshalling their resources to make a return to Villa Hermosa and claw their way back to the top. $3.99, 32 Pages
HARLEY QUINN #60 [04/03] Written by SAM HUMPHRIES, art by SAMI BASRI; Harley is trapped in S.T.A.R. Labs with no escape! Abandoned and alone, the former Clown Princess of Crime must face down a horde of invading interdimensional aliens…but is she locked in there with them—or are they locked in there with her? $3.99, 32 Pages
NIGHTWING #59 [04/17] Written by DAN JURGENS, art by CHRIS MOONEYHAM; There’s a new team in town who will have to learn the hard way that fighting injustice doesn’t mean you’re cut out to be a superhero. As the newly formed Nightwings are forced to deal with a fiery threat they never saw coming, reluctant recruit Ric Grayson has to make the choice between a carefree life without capes or answering the call that’s been ringing his entire life—the call to be a hero. Join Ric Grayson and the Nightwings as they learn what it takes to be a team—and what happens when you fight who you truly are. $3.99, 32 Pages
RED HOOD: OUTLAW #33 [04/10] Written by SCOTT LOBDELL, art by PETE WOODS; Running a casino has turned out to be more dangerous than Jason Todd ever imagined. Especially when he’s the public face of the Iceberg Lounge. It turns out Oswald Cobblepot has way more enemies than the Penguin—and with the crime boss missing, they descend on Jason and his crew. But Jason doesn’t need to look far for an extrajudicial solution to his problems: apparently he has the Red Hood in his contacts. $3.99, 32 Pages
GREATER DC UNIVERSE
ADVENTURES OF THE SUPER SONS #9 [04/03] Written by PETER J. TOMASI, art by SCOTT GODLEWSKI; Takron-Galtos, the prison planet, may be behind them—but in order to beat the Gang and get home, the boys must saddle up to survive a wild wild world of the west! An unlikely guide on this lawless planet might just help Superboy and Robin survive…but what in the west world is Jonah Hex doing out here in space?! Hold on to your hats, this one’s going to be a bucking good time! $3.99, 32 Pages, 9 of 12
DEATHSTROKE #42 [04/03] Written by CHRISTOPHER PRIEST and ADAM GLASS, art by CARLO PAGULAYAN and JASON PAZ; “The Terminus Agenda” part two! Captured by the newest group of Teen Titans, Deathstroke finds himself powerless and restrained inside Damian’s secret prison. But when a crisis erupts, only Deathstroke stands between the Teen Titans and total disaster—can Robin swallow his pride to protect his team? $3.99, 32 Pages
HEROES IN CRISIS #8 [04/24] Written by TOM KING, art by CLAY MANN and MITCH GERADS; You’ve seen all the clues. You’ve heard the testimony and eavesdropped on the secret confessions of the World’s Greatest Super Heroes. Now, with the killer revealed, it’s time to find out why. What could have driven a hero to the brink, to turn a savior into a murderer? Rifts will form between old allies, and the trinity of Wonder Woman, Superman and Batman will have their leadership challenged and will question their own judgment. Sanctuary has become something they never imagined…and it’s still potentially carrying on without them! $3.99, 32 Pages, 8 of 9
JUSTICE LEAGUE #21 [04/03] Written by SCOTT SNYDER, art by JORGE JIMENEZ; The Justice League pulls back the curtain on their futures and learns that not everything is what they’ve seen. The team goes to confront the Justice League of Tomorrow for the truth, but can they handle it? Meanwhile, with his powers waning, Superman struggles to remain hopeful on a world with no sunlight. $3.99, 32 Pages
JUSTICE LEAGUE #22 [04/17] Written by JAMES TYNION IV, art by FRANCIS MANAPUL; The Multiverse is teetering on the brink, and Lex Luthor’s Legion of Doom is poised for victory. But as the combined intellects of Brainiac and the world’s smartest man make their move toward conquering the keys to the sixth dimension, a much bigger power grows on the horizon. At last, the final form of Perpetua takes her shape, and the DCU will never be the same again! $3.99, 32 Pages
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #10 [04/24] Written by JAMES TYNION IV, art by ALVARO MARTINEZ BUENO and RAUL FERNANDEZ; Wonder Woman and her team of mystical misfits are on their last legs against Doctor Fate and his Lords of Order. As the magical community surrounds them, the Justice League Dark searches the world over for their one chance at stopping Doctor Fate and the Otherkind and saving magic: Mordru, the Lord of Chaos! $3.99, 32 Pages
TEEN TITANS #29 [04/17] Written by ADAM GLASS and CHRISTOPHER PRIEST, art by BERNARD CHANG; “The Terminus Agenda” part three! After their last mission nearly ended in disaster, the Teen Titans are coming apart at the seams. As Deathstroke’s influence over Damian reaches new heights, the team must evaluate how far they are willing to go in their war on crime. And with the Teen Titans seemingly on the brink of destruction, a new threat reveals itself. And the worst enemies of all…come from within! $3.99, 32 Pages
YOUNG JUSTICE #4 [04/03] Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS, art by PATRICK GLEASON and JOHN TIMMS; This all-new, in-continuity Wonder Comics sensation explodes as all the secrets of these heroes—Robin, Superboy, Wonder Girl, Jinny Hex, Teen Lantern, Amethyst and Impulse—are revealed! Young Justice forms once again—just in time to battle the great Dark Opal and stop his plans for an invasion of Earth that could destroy humanity. It’s a big, bold new chapter into the future of the DC Universe! $3.99, 32 Pages
SECONDARY DC BOOKS
None this month
