Next came  a special video greeting from Chip Zdarsky, then Catwoman writer Tini Howard joined the panel to talk about Catwoman becoming a crime boss in Gotham City and how its going to lead to “Gotham War” and the effects it will have on the Batman family.

Award-winning storyteller Rafael Grampa joined the panel to talk about his DC Black Label series, Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham.

This is the first DC work from Grampa since his collaboration with Frank Miller on Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child in 2019. Grampá showed a look at a variant cover for the debut issue of the series (Batman Day, September 16).

Writer Ram V was also part of the panel.  He talked about his run on Detective Comics. Ram and Abernathy also had a special surprise for fans in attendance. In keeping with the operatic theme of “Gotham Nocturne,” the duo announced a brief “intermezzo” planned for October, revealing cover art for Detective Comics #1076, a four-issue arc called “Batman Outlaw.”

To finish up the panel, Batman Beyond storytellers Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing joined the panel to give fans a peak into  their series, Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic. In addition to their new series (on sale July 25), there was breaking news  on their next DC project, Outsiders.  This brings a new-look Batwoman together with Luke Fox/Batwing, and a new version of The Drummer.

The post SDCC 2023: Gotham City Panel Shows Debut of Batman Outlaw And Outsiders appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s note: This review may contain spoilers!]

Director: Marshall Virtue

Writers: Ebony Gilbert, Daphne Miles, Natalie Abrams, Maya Houston

Starring: Javicia Leslie, Rachel Skarsten, Meagan Tandy, Nicole Kang, Camrus Johnson, Victoria Cartagena, Nick Creegan

Reviewed by: Steven Brown

Summary

In Batwoman 3×08, Flashbacks reveal Renee Montoya’s betrayal of her former lover Pamela Isley. Mary and Alice continue to bond while on the run, and Marquis throws a party that makes everyone notice.

Positives

Ryan is confronted by Renee, Sophie, and Luke about still using the “kid gloves” on Mary although she’s infected with Poison Ivy’s blood. Ryan says she refuses to give up hope, but Renee and the rest point out that Ryan’s indecision is costing lives. Ryan agrees and Renee brings up a way to save Mary perhaps once and for all, by locating Poison Ivy’s body. Mary and Alice continue to bond while doing each other’s nails. A simple girls’ day of manicures and pedicures influences Mary to crash Marquis’ party at Wayne Enterprises.

Negatives

This episode does bring up a valid point with Ryan keeping the kid gloves on when dealing with these situations. Bruce was best friends with Harvey Dent for example, but all that changed once he became the criminal Two-Face. It’s pretty much the same similarities here between Ryan and Mary. The most damaging thing Ryan has apparently done so far was to cut off Mary’s credit cards. I found that almost laughable. Mary pays Ryan and the team back in kind by crashing Marquis’ party and revealing to him that Luke is Batwing and that Ryan is Batwoman. This betrayal of trust should be the breaking point for Ryan especially after the conclusion of the episode. Luke’s look of disgust with Mary really pulls you in, as for months I thought actual feelings were starting to emerge between the two. Now instead of trying to save Mary, I think Luke will be encouraged more than ever to bring her to justice.

Verdict

Batwoman 3×08 was a decent episode that left viewers asking questions. Mary’s ultimate betrayal of the team should have consequences, and I think we’ll see that in the next installment. Marquis now has all the information on Ryan and the bat family and there’s no telling how he intends to use it.

The post Review: Batwoman 3×08 – “Trust Destiny” appeared first on DC Comics News.

Fans of the comics know that the original Batwing was a man named David Zavimbe, who became part of Batman Incorporated after meeting Bruce Wayne. He acquired his own suit, and became Batwing and fought crime and corruption in his home city of Tinasha, a fictional location set in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Eventually Luke Fox, the son of longtime Batman ally Lucius Fox took up the suit and name to fight crime in Gotham alongside other classic Batman characters. Since the beginning of Batwoman, that version of Batwing has been heavily teased. And if you have been watching the show you know that Luke Fox has dealt with a lot this season. Trust me, Luke faced things I would wish on my worst enemy.

The suit itself looks pretty intimidating. Tactical, but still sleek. It hearkens back to the comics but still stays true the aesthetics of the show. Check out pics below!

The post Arrowverse’s Batwing Suit Revealed For Batwoman Debut appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writers: Chip Zdarsky, Camrus Johnson, Meghan Fitzmartin, Matthew Rosenberg

Artists: Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, Ryan Benjamin, Loyiso Mkize, Belen Ortega

Colorists: Adriano Lucas, Antonio Fabela,Andrew Dalheouse, Alejandro Sanchez

Letters: Becca Carey, Saida Temofonte, ALW’s Troy Petreri, Pat Brosseau

Reviewer: Tony Farina

Summary

The Penultimate chapter of the Grifter story is here! Grifter’s walking a deadly line between Lucius Fox and HALO’s plan…can he survive the endgame? Oh, and yeah, now Superman is after him!

As old wounds threaten to Sabotage Batman and Red Hood’s investigation into the Cheerdrop drug turning Gotham City upside down they run afoul of Gotham’s coldest criminal MR. FREEZE! And the force behind the Cheerdrops will be banking on the former dynamic duo’s demise…

TIM DRAKE has returned to the streets of Gotham City and is seeking a new purpose, but what he finds is a string of young adult kidnappings committed by someone known only as “The Chaos Monster” will Tim be able to get to the root of the kidnappings or will he fall prey to them? Critically acclaimed Future State Robin Eternal writer Meghan Fitzmartin returns to tell this Tim Drake story with rising star artist Belén Ortega.

Acclaimed creator and actor Camrus Johnson writes an action-packed story featuring Luke Fox—the character he portrays on The CW’s hit television series BATWOMAN!

Positives

Batman: Urban Legends #4 has TIM DRAKE!!! Fan boy over here. I mean, I would read a 10 pages story where Tim orders lunch, so seeing him in action here is a just special for me. The snark Babs gives him about the Drake name is excellent. Bendis is never going to live that one down and nor should he.

The Batwing story is excellent. What a clever idea having the actor who plays Luke on the show write this one shot. I am all for this book eventually turning into Tim and Luke on the road doing good deeds. I suspect that Jason’s story is going to spin off into his own series eventually or he will be the stand alone star of Gotham, but if he was part of the team, that would be a great dynamic.

Negatives

Once again, this book gives a lot of pages to Grifter. It wasn’t until this series started that I realized that if I never read another Grifter story again, I would be just fine with that. Oh man. It is dragging out. The artwork is quite good and the writing is snappy, but I just don’t care. I am not really interested in him. I know he is now part of the Bat Family, but why though?

Verdict

Batman Urban Legends #4 is good. Three of the stories are five stars. The development of Jason Todd in particular is amazing. This may be the best stuff since Judd brought him back from the dead. I did enjoy a lot of the Outlaws stuff, but it was trying hard to be funnier than it should have been. Jason isn’t funny. Dick is funny. Tim is funny. Jason is angry and confused. This book just nails it. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

The post Review: Batman: Urban Legends #4 appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Sarah J. Maas

Adapted by: Louise Simonson

Artist: Samantha Dodge

Colors: Shari Chankhamma

Letters: Saida Temofonte

Reviewer: Tony Farina

Summary

It’s been two years since Selina Kyle last set eyes on Gotham City…and now that Batman is gone…Selina is back! Or at least, Holly Vanderhees is. As Gotham’s newest socialite, she’ll put her old talent for picking pockets to new use while rubbing shoulders with the city’s finest citizens. But her past is catching up to her, and she is running out of time…

Positives

Catwoman: Soulstealer (The Graphic Novel) is gorgeous. The art team simply pulled out all the stops here. While Samantha Dodge’s art work is next level good, the colorist, Shari Chankhamma, almost steals the spotlight. These two have created a lived in, dirty, Gotham City that only has splashes of color here and there. When they are used, it is glorious. It is a feast for the eyes. Letterer Saida Temofonte drops the mic here as well. There are multiple points of view and the characters have different lettering and coloring. It is really fantastic.

I read the original novel upon which this adaptation is based and I have to say, I really enjoyed them both. Maas’ vision for this alternate reality DC Icons story is really fun. Putting Selina and Luke together as advisories and later as romantic leads and allies was so smart. Both versions of these characters clearly resemble their main DCU counterparts enough to be recognized, but vary enough to work in this kind of story. Louise Simonson’s adaptation doesn’t lose a thing in the way of character development and it enhances the pacing from the novel, which was already breakneck, and makes it fit this style of storytelling. It all works out perfectly.

Negatives

This book has the same problem that all of the DC Icon stories have, they are not canon. I am fine with that. Most comic readers should be fine with it. However, there will be some purists out there who hate just because they do. Remember folks, these are not real people.

Verdict

Catwoman: Soulstealer (The Graphic Novel) is the perfect gateway to a reluctant reader of comics. There are a group of folks out there who love YA books, but don’t like comics because, Spoiler and Robin and Dick and (whomever Babs right now) notwithstanding, there is generally not a ton of romance on the pages of comic books. These Icon books and their graphic novel counterparts give readers that in spades. Hopefully, a story like this hooks them and suddenly there are more readers of the regular comics too.

The post Featured Review: Catwoman: Soulstealer (The Graphic Novel) appeared first on DC Comics News.

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writers: John Ridley, Vita Ayala, Paula Sevenbergen

Artists: Laura Braga, Nick Derington, Aneke, Emanuela Lupacchino, Wade Von Grawbadger

Colours: Arif Prianto, Trish Mulvihill, John Kalisz

Letters: Clayton Cowles, Becca Carey

Reviewed By: Derek McNeil

Summary

Future State: The Next Batman #4: The next Batman goes head-to-head with the Magistrate’s shock troops to protect the…guilty?! It’s a savage running battle across Gotham City, and it will have the next Dark Knight fighting overwhelming odds to prove that justice still lives in the heart of a broken city.

In the finale of “Batgirls,” after discovering the person locked in the high-security cell is the one who’s been sending out “Batman Lives” signals to the Resistance, Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain must work together to make sure they take that person when they escape their prison!

Plus, in the conclusion of “Gotham City Sirens,” Catwoman and the new android Siren hide out in Poison Ivy’s newly built paradise, where they discuss their past relationships, including what Catwoman has—or had—with Batman. But when Peacekeeper forces arrive, the new Siren will have to make a sacrifice to save her friends.

Positives

With Future State: The Next Batman #4, the first chapter of John Ridley’s successor to the Dark Knight comes to a close. But he’ll be back next week in Batman: Black & White #3. He also will appear in a new miniseries The Next Batman: Second Son, starting next week digitally with the print edition starting in April. However, this first story has served as a fine introduction to the character and has, with the assistance of other related Future State titles, set up the future Gotham in which he fights crime.

While this chapter winds up this first adventure, the meat of this story is in Jace’s interactions with the other members of the Fox family. As Batman, Jace is forced to deliberately injure his mother, who doesn’t realize the vigilante she is facing is her own son. He makes sure to take her down non-lethally, but still ends up putting her in the hospital. And when Jace goes to visit her there, he has to confront the rest of his family.

It appears to be some unresolved grievance between Jace and his brother Luke. Jace’s sister and mother appear willing to forgive Jace, and Lucius seems willing to call a truce despite showing his evident disappointment in his son. Luke on the other hand, is downright hostile to Jace. I look forward to seeing just exactly what happened to cause this rift in the Fox Family in Second Son.

Positives Cont.

In the conclusion to the Batgirls story, Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown manage to free the original Batgirl Barbara Gordon from the Magistrate holding facility. Again, the best part of this story occurs in the story’s denouement. We see two important reconciliations. First, we see Barbara reunited with Dick Grayson. It’s a touching scene and makes clear that their romance is still going strong in the Future State timeframe.

The second is between Cass and Stephanie, who forgive each other and reaffirm their friendship. Also, it reveals that during their escape, they also freed several heroes and villains, swelling the ranks of Nightwing’s resistance army. All around, the ending of this story is a solid affirmation of hope in the midst of the dystopian Future State Gotham.

The third story concludes the Gotham City Sirens tale of Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and their new ally, the android D.D. Even though the other two stories are better, that doesn’t mean this story is a disappointment. It’s a nice little story, but where the Batgirls story ends on a hopeful note, this one ends with D.D. sacrificing herself. But there is still an element of hope in the story’s epilogue, with Ivy opening a safe spot in Gotham, named Dee in her honour.

Negatives

The only issue I have with the stories in this series is that they only give a brief taste of the whole story. It’s been known that Jace Fox’s story will continue as I’ve stated above, but it was unclear how much of the other future Gotham stories would continue. However, DC has recently announced a new ongoing Future State: Gotham title starting in May that will continue the future adventures of the Bat-Family. I can hardly wait!

Verdict

Future State: The Next Batman #4 is the end of this miniseries, but not the end of the Future State Gotham story. This series has done an outstanding job in introducing Jace Fox as a new Batman and the dystopian future he lives in. I look forward to seeing the story continuing is the months ahead.

The post Review: Future State: The Next Batman #4 appeared first on DC Comics News.

In this inaugural episode, Steve is joined by fellow DCN and DKN writer, and his son, Adam Ray to talk about the very first episode of Batman: TAS, entitled “On Leather Wings“. So sit back, put on your cape and cowl, and prepare yourself for a journey into the darkness!

Episode Synopsis: Batman finds himself tangling with a Jekyll-and-Hyde bat creature after it attacks a night watchman and the police wage a war on the Dark Knight.

Steve J Ray: www.twitter.com/el_steevo
Adam Ray: www.twitter.com/IzzetTinkerer

Be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play, and if you like what you hear, please give us a 5-star rating and review!

For 10% off tickets to Wizard World, head on over to wizardworld.com/tickets and enter the code DCNEWS at checkout!

Follow us on social media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DCComicsNews

Twitter: www.twitter.com/DCComicsNews

Instagram: www.instagram.com/DCComicsNews

Tumblr: www.tumblr.com/DCComicsNews

The post I Am The Night: A Batman: TAS Podcast – 1×01 “On Leather Wings” appeared first on DC Comics News.

Writer: Peter J. Tomasi

Pencils: Doug Mahnke

Inks: Jaime Mendoza

Colors: David Baron

Letters: Rob Leigh

Summary

Alfred Pennyworth…attacked at the Wayne mansion! Who’s hunting those closest to Batman? The monstrous shadow creature plaguing Gotham City gains the upper hand when two of the Dark Knight’s most ardent allies fall prey to the violent vendetta. Will those tragedies send Batman over the edge? Good thing he’s on his way to Arkham Asylum—but will he investigate a murder, or get incarcerated in a padded cell?

Positives

As the show, Gotham, ends, it truly is needless to say, that Alfred is central to both Bruce Wayne and Batman’s upbringing, belief system and methodology. This issue opens up with him being attacked, and I can already see this one will rock Batman to the core. Most iterations of the character feel more like a sidekick to the character. Then this show, showing his earlier years, as well as the people who would become his rogue gallery, came on the scene and proves that he is much more, and if death really is knocking at Alfred’s door, then his world will not be the same.

Thankfully for fans of the book, the cover and tagline were mere subterfuge, but a central character does die, one that is close to Bruce, and one that evokes his PTSD. This character losing her life, even with the technology within Batman’s reach, leaves him to envision her life flashing before his eyes. This brought back painful memories for the character of his mother’s death and his life up to this point. These events would crack most people and it almost cracks Bruce, and may have if he did not have the steadfast hands and counsel of Alfred.

In typical fashion of this book, not everything is safe, as a last-minute attack leaves Alfred badly hurt. In this telling, Tomasi is working from the vantage point that Batman’s secrets are more known than he would like to believe. I think this is more than a bold step, as it introduces new elements to the canon which have never been used. It will be more than interesting to see how the book moves, now that Bruce is on edge. The end of this issue finds Batman in Arkham, confronting the one person that might be behind everything.

Negatives

There are no negatives worth mentioning in this issue.

Verdict

This issue leaves fans on edge, as it is pure suspense, and more than puts Batman on notice. The story by Tomasi is smart, powerful, and brimming with intensity. The art by Mahnke and Mendoza gives fans a different look at the Dark Knight. Overall, a great issue that flips the tables on some characters and gives fans an angry and focused Batman.

The post Review: Detective Comics #995 appeared first on DC Comics News.

Writer: Peter J. Tomasi

Penciller: Doug Mahnke

Inker: Jaime Mendoza

Colors: David Baron

Letters: Rob Leigh

Summary

Batman’s strangest case begins as the new creative team of writer Peter J. Tomasi and artist Doug Mahnke take over DETECTIVE COMICS!

Positives

I must say that rarely do I enjoy variant covers the way other reviewers do, but the one done for this particular issue speaks to the character of Batman more than anything else that has ever been drawn. Mark Brooks’ artistic style feels like a painting that should be hanging in a museum with a level of detail that is astonishing. He renders the tragedy that comic book fans worldwide know of Bruce Wayne’s genesis into becoming Batman into a pure work of art. His drawing of Bruce’s parents’ moments after their death converging with the blood filled reflection of the reality of his other self, Batman, is breathtaking.

What Tomasi writes in this first arc since he took over for the book is a reintroduction to the character, as every creator who comes to the book has both felt a need to put their imprint on the character and sometimes, like with Tomasi and Mahnke, feel a need to share what they love most about the character. For Tomasi and Mahnke, this is their seeming fascination with his origin story and how it is tethered to both Batman and Bruce Wayne. This particular case is one of reverse psychology, as someone is trying bait Batman, knowing who he really is, by making clones of the dead bodies of his parents. This is an interesting story device, as it both explores the character and the character’s overall motivation, which not only entangles Batman, but also Commissioner Gordon.

The end of this issue gives the reader quite a different origin story for another character, which is something I wasn’t expecting, as the story seems like it was going somewhere familiar. The end is not exactly shocking but definitely surprising, as it serves as a good jumping on point for anyone who hasn’t read the book in a while.

Negatives

There is nothing negative about this issue as it is a masterpiece that deserves to be re-read as many times as possible.  Tomasi and Mahnke both remix what we have come to expect from this book, while also staying true to the spirit of it.

Verdict

The story by Tomasi is engaging and introspective enough for readers to get a better understanding of the character. The art by Mahnke is alluring and gives the book a nice uplift from the last few artists. Overall, a great issue that makes the book exciting again in a way that makes you love reading Batman.

The post Review: Detective Comics #994 appeared first on DC Comics News.

Writer: James Robinson

Artist: Carmine Di Giandomenico

Colors: Ivan Plascencia

Letters: Rob Leigh

Summary

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.

Positives

Within the first few panels we are taken to the apparent funeral of Two-Face, or more accurately, to the funeral of Harvey Dent. This was one of the few times that Batman has connected and partnered with one of his many foes, one that most people forget he had such a mercurial relationship with at one point. More than likely, it was the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent which enjoyed a rather ubiquitous tenure, versus the one Batman and Two-Face have endured, leaving no room for any real relationship.

This book is no stranger to funerals, but this one seems bittersweet, and under Robinson’s steadfast pen, has given this once Fairweather bond a final goodbye, at least for now. The twist that comes at the end of the book feels monumental and a bit contrived, but not so contrived where you do not appreciate Robinson’s reasoning for pushing the story in this particular direction, a rather sentimental ending that will satisfy this new iteration of the character. The art of Di Giandomenico finally finds balance in this issue as his aesthetics combined with Robinson’s storytelling instincts makes for a rather compelling issue.

Negatives

None.

Verdict

This issue, though abbreviated, is compelling, action packed and dense with character development that wouldn’t be as good in most other writers’ hands. The story by Robinson is smart and gives readers the tense action they have been clamoring for. The art by Di Giandomenico is gorgeous and dramatically improves over the last issue. Overall, a great issue, that reestablishes balance to the Batman canon.

The post Review: Detective Comics #993 appeared first on DC Comics News.