First Look: He-Man and the Masters of the Multiverse #1

“By the Power of Hellskull…”

Written by Tim Seeley

Art by Dan Fraga and Richard Friend

Colors by Matt Yackey

Lettering by Saida Temofonte

Cover by In-Hyuk Lee 

Variant Cover by Dan Fraga and Matt Yackey

In Shops: Nov 20, 2019

Final Orders Due: Oct 28, 2019

SRP: $3.99

Anti-He-Man, the scourge of Anti-Eternia, has been unleashed! He-Men from across the Multiverse will unite! Blazing a trail across the dimensions, Anti-He-Man is devastating each version of Eternia and stealing the power of Greyskull. Now it's up to a ragtag team of surviving He-Men to recruit the one man in existence, across every Multiverse, who might save them: Prince Keldor, the man who would be Skeletor. This all-new miniseries features the most iconic eras and beloved takes on the Masters of the Universe!

First Look: Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Infinite Crisis #1

Tales from the Dark Multiverse: Infinite Crisis #1

Written by James TynionIV
Art by Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan

Cover art by Lee Weeks

In Shops: Nov 27, 2019

Final Orders Due: Oct 28, 2019

SRP: $5.99

DC's mega-event Infinite Crisis saw the dissolution of the Trinity, the rise of Alexander Luthor and Superboy-Prime, and the rebirth of the Multiverse...but it started with Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle, who saw it all coming and died with secrets that could've saved the world. 

 But...things happened differently in the Dark Multiverse! In the fourth Tales from the Dark Multiverse one-shot, not only does Blue Beetle survive—he thrives! And after killing Maxwell Lord himself, Ted sets off a chain of events that irreversibly alters the lives of the Justice League and his best friend, Booster Gold. In trying to prevent a crisis, Blue Beetle becomes the Crisis...and the Dark Multiverse will never be the same!

First Look: The Infected: Scarab #1

 Written by Dennis Hopeless Hallum
Art by Freddie E. Williams II and Jeremy Colwell
Cover by David Marquez and Dean White
In Shops: Nov 20, 2019
Final Orders Due: Oct 28, 2019
SRP: $3.99


The spread of The Infected continues! After a chance encounter with a powerful mystical entity known as The Scarab, teenager Jaime Reyes was transformed into a reluctant warrior for good—the Blue Beetle! Jaime never asked to be the Blue Beetle, but he's been doing his best to live up to the power within.

 Now, the Batman Who Laughs, the most sinister evil this or any other world has ever seen, has his sights set on turning Jaime toward the darkness, awakening the evil within and bringing out the terrible Scarab in The Infected: Scarab by Dennis Hopeless Hallum and Freddie E. Williams II, the latest in a series of stories spotlighting DC’s corrupted heroes. Spinning out of the events of Batman/Superman and "Year of the Villain" comes the tale of a hero fighting the evil inside, and whose friends and family are about to pay the price...and it all begins by hijacking the Bug!

First Look: Batman: White Knight Presents Von Freeze #1

The World of Batman: White Knight Expands with Von Freeze!

Written by Sean Murphy

Art by Klaus Janson and Matt Hollingsworth
Cover Art by Sean Murphy
In Shops: Nov 20, 2019
Final Orders Due: Oct 28, 2019
SRP: $5.99

The Curse of the White Knight saga expands in this special interlude issue! Sean Murphy is joined by artists Klaus Janson and Matt Hollingsworth to tell the tragic tale of White Knight’s Mister Freeze. On the night of Bruce Wayne's traumatic birth, Victor Fries must intervene to save the lives of Martha Wayne and the future Batman. As the evening unfolds, Victor distracts Thomas with the incredible tale of his own father figures—one a Nazi, the other a Jew—and their complex connection to Wayne Laboratories. As the Third Reich roars into power, the deep friendship and working relationship between the Baron von Fries and his research partner, Jacob Smithstein, is in crisis.

 Ordered by Himmler to speed development of their cryotechnology in service of world domination, Smithstein is forced to go into hiding and compromise his moral code in order to save his wife and infant daughter, Nora, from persecution and certain death. When the S.S. ramps up surveillance over the project, young Victor begins to question his father's true allegiance. Both families are driven toward an impossible choice and a sinister standoff, and Victor makes a pact with Smithstein that will ripple through generations.

Deadshot #3 (1988) Review

SECRETS (or "Victims")

Writers: John Ostrander and Kim Yale

Artist: Luke McDonnell

Colorist: Julianna Ferriter

Letterer: Tim Harkins

Editor: Robert Greenberger

Release Date: November 2nd, 1988

Cover Price: $1.00

Review written by Joey Casco of TheWineStalker.net

To catch up on what's going on in this four issue mini-series, check out the Deadshot 1988 miniseries label.

Marnie Herr, Floyd Lawton's (Deadshot's) psychiatrist, is continuing her investigation on Floyd's life with Sheriff Truscott by visiting his mother and his father's caretaker (which I'm not spoiling in my reviews so you're going to have to read the comics for that).

Meanwhile, Floyd is going after his son's kidnappers.

Justice League Dark #16 Review and **SPOILERS**

Witchy Woman

Writer: James Tynion IV
Pencillers: Alvaro Martinez Bueno, Fernando Blanco
Inkers: Raul Fernandez, Fernando Blanco
Colorist: Brad Anderson
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 23, 2019

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

That witchy war is upon us! Hitch your britches when’s a-comin’ the witches! You got to pick up every stitch! And so forth. Check out my review of Justice League Dark #16, as follows!

Wonder Woman #81 Review

Love Me Do

Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Artist: Tom Derenick, Trevor Scott, Scott Hanna, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Pat Brosseau
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 23, 2019

While I think that G. Willow Wilson struggled with this book from the beginning, one thing she did do well is play well with others.  This book is one of the most dedicated to the Year of the Villain storyline and even if things are a bit off, I do like Cheetah at Wonder Woman's throat...but, I need a little story to go along with it as well.  Maybe this is the issue that it all comes together.  A man can have hopes and dreams, right?  Let's find out...

Aquaman Annual #2 Review and **SPOILERS**

We Go Together Like Rama Lama Lama ka Dinga da Dinga Dong

Writers: Kelly Sue DeConnick and Vita Ayala

Artist: Victor Ibañez

Colorist: Jay David Ramos

Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Cover: Victor Ibañez

Assistant Editor: Andrea Shea

Editor: Alex Antone

Group Editor: Brian Cunningham

Cover Price: $4.99

On Sale Date: October 23, 2019

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

One would think an “annual” would be an issue that came out annually, but no. The last Aquaman Annual was in 2017. Let’s read this second one from 2019, what do you say?

Batgirl #40 Review and **SPOILERS**

The Terribly Annoying Trio

Writer: Cecil Castellucci 

Artist: Carmine Digiandomenico 

Colorist: Jordie Bellaire 

Letterer: Andworld Design 

Cover: Carmine Digiandomenico & Ivan Plascencia 

Variant Cover: Javi Fernandez and Matt Lopes 

Editor: Brittany Holzherr 

Group Editor: Brian Cunningham 

Cover Price: $3.99 

On Sale Date: October 23, 2019

**NON SPOILERS AND SCORE AT THE BOTTOM**

The Oracle-bot is unleashed! The Terrible Trio might be anthropomorphic beasties! Barbara…had time for a costume change? Let’s see how things are going in Batgirl #40, which I’ve reviewed right here!

Batman: Curse of the White Knight #4 Review

Writer: Sean Murphy
Art Team: Sean Murphy, Matt Hollingsworth, AndWorld Design
DC Black Label
Release Date: October 23, 2019
Cover Price: $4.99

Hell Hath No Fury ... 

Curse of the White Knight continues this month reaching the official halfway point, having picked up on some of the threads from its predecessor, while expanding on the mythos at play again. I've dug the flashback to the pasts the most throughout this latest series yet some of the modern day Batman stuff has felt a lot like just an extension of the first series too. With a huge cliffhanger last issue involving Azrael and a long time ally of Batman, I was itching to see where that would take us this month, so lets jump in here and discuss, shall we?

Red Hood: Outlaw #39 Review

Monster Squad

Written By: Scott Lobdell
Art By: Kenneth Rocafort, Steve Firchow, Troy Peteri
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 23, 2019

Jason Todd is training the next generation of Super Villains for Lex Luthor..... you know, the whole "doom" thing and with that we have a whole new set of problems.... like is Red Hood able to keep these kids in check or will he get them all killed with his curriculum?  Time will tell, but previously we saw the class go on a field trip to STAR Labs, where they met up with Doomed and now it looks like the group will have to fight a bunch of monsters to get out of this field trip alive.  Let's jump into this issue and see if the next generation will last.  Let's check it out.

Freedom Fighters #10 Review

Fight The Power!

Written By: Robert Venditti
Art By: Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, Adriano Lucas, Andworld Design
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 23, 2019


We're Earth-X bound as we travel the Multiverse to check in on our Freedom Fighters and their war against the Ratzi menace.  Previously, we saw Black Condor's mission to obtain the Plastic Man formula fail because he went a little over the top and decided to free all of Detroit instead....... or depending on your point of view, maybe he did succeed because he put the formula into himself, making himself a huge threat to the Nazis, more than he already was.  Hopefully, the Freedom Fighters can use this to their advantage as they storm Cheyenne Mountain to take down Adolf Hitler Jr. and to rescue Human Bomb and Doll Woman.  Let's jump into this issue and check it out.

Batman Beyond #37 Review

There's A New Bat In Town!

Written By: Dan Jurgens
Art By: Sean Chen, Sean Parsons, Chris Sotomayor, Travis Lanham
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 23, 2019


Neo-Gotham awaits as we head on back to the future to see if Terry McGinnis has recovered his memories from when False Face took his identity...... it's a thing this False Face does.  Anyway, if that wasn't enough it seems that we have a new hero in the city and by what the cover says..... it's a lady!  Let's jump into this issue and hope that the cover didn't spoil a mystery that this issue spends most of the issue trying to setup for a reveal..... Let's check it out!

Detective Comics #1014 Review

Freeze Frame

Writer: Peter J. Tomasi

Pencils: Doug Mahnke
Ink: Christian Alamy, Mark Irwin, Doug Mahnke
Colors: David Baron
Letters: Rob Leigh

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 23rd, 2019

Review by Joey Casco of TheWineStalker.net

Mr. Freeze has finally brought his beloved Nora back and cured her of her terminal cancer, thanks to Lex Luthor's offer. But he's left plenty of test subjects behind that Batman must try and save, who are being kept in temperature-controlled tanks in the Batcave and frantically tended to by Batman and Alfred.

Batman/Superman #3 Review

Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: David Marquez, Alejandro Sanchez, and John J. Hill
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 23, 2019

I keep getting this notion that this Batman/Superman "Infected Secret Six" story is getting overshadowed by the Year of the Villain and Event Leviathan and while I am not fully invested yet myself, I think everything should get its fair shake.  Unfortunately, it came out last and was then delayed...much like Joshua Williamson's Justice League Odyssey was and that book never seemed to gain the traction it needed to run with the other two Justice League books.  So, what is a Batman/Superman book to do?  Well, for starters, it needs to pick up the pace and start taking advantage of its premise.  I need this book to matter (at least to me, unlike Eric Shea, I don't speak for everyone else) and I need it to matter starting now.  There are too many books out there for me to be wowed by a Shazam/Superman fight.  However, the cliffhanger at the end of the last issue was pretty kick-ass and might just be what the doctor ordered.  Well, is it?  Let's find out...

Action Comics #1016 Review

Word On The Street

Written By: Brian Michael Bendis

Art By: Szymon Kudranski, Brad Anderson, Dave Sharpe

Cover Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 23, 2019

It's time to head back to Metropolis, where we left our hero fighting Red Cloud, who has had her powers enhanced by Lex Luthor's offer.  That might seem like enough for most issues, but we have Naomi's sudden appearance in to contend with too and what she'll do to make her presence in this issue a memorable one.  Let's jump into this issue and see if we get more out of this installment of Action Comics than we did in the previous one.  Let's check it out.

The Flash #81 Review and *SPOILERS*

Eobard Strikes Again

Written By: Joshua Williamson
Art By: Scott Kolins, Luis Guerrero
Letters By: Steve Wands
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 23, 2019

*Non Spoilers and Score At The Bottom*

Last time I reviewed this book I stated that I felt like things happened but they felt empty and I’m standing by that. As I open this new issue and flip through the first pages, I remember all the things that are happening at the moment in this book. Honestly, it’s a bit disheartening. In reality, there is a ton of things happening in this book at the moment and none of them really feel like a big deal. Maybe the part with the Rogues feels big but that is because it has the benefit of the yearly event behind it and all that build up makes them feel like a bigger deal. The rest of the book, all the stuff with Hunter Zoloman seems very lackluster. This is especially disappointing because Williamson has shown himself to be a very high quality writer in the past with this title. I just wish that this most recent issue felt that way. However, perhaps this issue will bring that gravitas that I’m looking for. Let’s jump into this issue and see where it takes us.

Year of the Villain: Black Adam #1 Review

Master of None

Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artist: Inaki Miranda, Hi-Fi and Tom Napolitano
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: October 23, 2019

These Year of the Villain one-shots have been mostly a miss for me, but I will never turn down a Black Adam/Shazam issue no matter what it's attached to.  We really don't get enough Black Adam nowadays and with the Shazam! book stuck in the now usual Geoff Johns delay spin cycle, he and Shazam are on the backburner a bit...until now!  So, is this Year of the Villain issue costarring one of the Infected's Secret Six any good?  Let's find out... 

PREVIEW: Year of the Villain: Black Adam #1

Writer: Paul Jenkins
Artist: Inaki Miranda
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: October 23, 2019

Spinning out of the events of BATMAN/SUPERMAN, Shazam! (infected by the Batman Who Laughs) invades Black Adam's kingdom! His plan? To turn it into a playground for its new ruler: Billy Batson!

PREVIEW: Wonder Woman #81

Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Artist: Xermanico
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 23, 2019

Olympus has been returned to the gods! Now that the deities of Diana's world are back in power, all of her troubles are over. Or are they? Using the welcome distraction, Cheetah has finally made her way to her final destination for destruction: Themyscira!

PREVIEW: The Flash #81

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Artist: Scott Kolins
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 23, 2019

"The Hunter and the Hunted" part two! This is one issue you cannot miss! The last gasp of the Speed Force! Can Barry Allen and Hunter Zolomon work together long enough to beat death and save the Speed Force? Can Kid Flash and Avery, the Flash of China, discover what the Rogues want within the wreckage of Iron Heights? Even if the Flash survives, nothing will ever be the same again for the Flash family!

PREVIEW: Detective Comics #1014

Writer: Peter J. Tomasi
Artist: Doug Mahnke, Jaime Mendoza
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 23, 2019


Nora Fries has been the apple of Mr. Freeze's eye for a long time. For years he has toiled and suffered to try and cure her of her ailments, and bring back the life they had together. He has finally done it, but will Nora Fries be the same person she was when she was frozen? Or is there something broken that can't be fixed?

PREVIEW: Batman: Curse of the White Knight #4

Writer: Sean Murphy

Artist: Sean Murphy
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: October 23, 2019

After a shocking tragedy strikes the Bat-Family and Montoya take the reins, Babs defies the GTO and goes rogue in the hunt for Azrael. When her new methods prove almost too effective, Batman intervenes-leaving Harley to her own devices in the wake of her own emergency.

PREVIEW: Batman/Superman #3

Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: David Marquez
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 23, 2019

"Who are the Secret Six?" part three! Is Superman the newest member of the Batman Who Laughs' Secret Six? It certainly looks that way, and Batman may be powerless to stop the Man of Steel and his own demented doppelgänger. The Dark Multiverse's most dangerous Bruce Wayne is loose in our world, and he has our world's greatest superhero at his side. Who do you turn to when there's no one to trust?

PREVIEW: Red Hood: Outlaw #39

Written By: Scott Lobdell
Art By: Kenneth Rocafort, Steve Firchow, Troy Peteri
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 23, 2019

"Generation Outlaw" continues! Class is in session, and Red Hood's students still have a lot to learn. With Doomed running amok, each villain-in-training decides to use the chaos in order to stake their claim as the one to beat. But while Red Hood tries to teach them a valuable lesson about power and responsibility, Doomed's actions could, well, literally doom them all!