Caius the Bigger

Solicits for January are up!

COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS #17-13: Sometime this month, they finally find Ray Palmer. About time!

TEEN TITANS: YEAR ONE #1: Looking at the thumbnail for this one, I thought it featured Plastic Man. Closer examination was disappointing.

TEEN TITANS: THE LOST ANNUAL: Bob Haney OMIGOD! I might have to check this out just for the possibility of Haney-ese. Since this is Haney and thus Haneyverse (and for that matter, it features JFK) any continuity notes are probably irrelevant, but I'm still amused that it appears on the solicits advertising *five* original Titans, while TT:Y1 immediately above features only four.

(For those keeping track: the first Brave and Bold team-up featured only three, Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash. Teen Titans v1 started out with those three plus Wonder Girl. Speedy didn't show up until a little later but he's generally considered a founder anyway.)

TEEN TITANS #55: I was going to let this pass with no comment--there are so many people who are going to be more eloquent than I--but then I saw this "watch out for the introduction of the new Clock King, a modern-day Fagin out to create a villainous team of his own." A new Clock King. This is one of the things I love--and occasionally hate--about comics.

CRIME BIBLE: THE FIVE LESSONS OF BLOOD #4: Yay Renee! Also, yay Hub City! I am looking forward to this.

COUNTDOWN PRESENTS: LORD HAVOK AND THE EXTREMISTS #4: I think I commented with the last set of solicits that the entire existence of this title makes me laugh a lot. The cover art complements the ill-advised nineties revival quite nicely.

DEATH OF THE NEW GODS #5: New Gods still alive as of January, according to this solicit: Orion, Scott Free, Metron, Kalibak, and whoever else is on that cover. Anyone else is up for grabs.

GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY #4: Now that we know Ollie is alive (and for the record, I'm really tired of The Evil Amazons), we can kill SOMEONE ELSE. I am fond of the art on this series, though.

BLACK ADAM: THE DARK AGE #6: If the conclusion of this is not, in fact, strap-on mpreg, I'm...okay, I already dropped the book. But if it IS I'll pick up the back issues?

GOTHAM UNDERGROUND #4: The answer to "did ___ kill Batman?" is ALWAYS no, people. But it is nice to see Batwoman again!

BOOSTER GOLD #6: Memo to Booster Gold/Rip Hunter/Geoff Johns: How about changing the retcon that made Max evil?

SUICIDE SQUAD: RAISE THE FLAG #5: This series makes me really, really happy.

ACTION COMICS #861: On the one hand: Coluans are usually fun! On the other hand: this sounds like horrible continuity fuck, and I don't trust Geoff with continuity fuck. And my comicshop will no doubt be putting the (assuredly pretty!) Grell cover in a bag with a high price on it.

SUPERMAN #672: Kurt Busiek, on the other hand, I do trust with the Silver Age crack. Lana Lang Insect Queen on the MOON!

SUPERMAN/BATMAN #45: The concept of King Orin flatly refusing to hand over the Kryptonite makes me really, really happy. And then I remembered that he isn't currently Aquaman....

COUNTDOWN SPECIAL: THE NEW GODS: Kirby reprints! In which these characters are not dying! Cool!

GREEN LANTERN #27: *bites nails* You know, I really miss the days before COIE when the Green Lantern was an ancient, venerable, *stable* organization.

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #12: Oh my GOD, not MORE legacy heroes. Enough ALREADY, Geoff, and I'm sure Alex Ross is just ENCOURAGING YOU.

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #38: I do not especially like this art! And I am very wary of asking Jim Shooter back. But...tryouts are always fun?

THE SPIRIT #14: It is not Darwyn Cooke, but I'm definitely going to get Sergio Aragones et al a chance.

WONDER WOMAN #16: Pretty pretty Dodson art! PLUS Gail Simone! I am looking forward to this.

JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL HC: This is nice, guys, but...what about collecting the *rest* of the series? You know, the parts where Max is demonstrably not evil?

JACK KIRBY’S FOURTH WORLD OMNIBUS VOL. 4 HC: For those for whom the above LIVE NEW GODS reprints were not enough!

DIANA PRINCE: WONDER WOMAN VOL. 1 TP: OH HEY it's the SWINGING SEVENTIES WONDER WOMAN! I think I might have to pick this one up.

TIME MASTERS TP: I picked up some of this series for 25 cents and remember liking it quite a bit.

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: ENEMY ACE VOL. 1 TP: This makes me all SORTS of happy. Wasn't willing to pick up the archive, but yay Showcase!

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: SUPERMAN FAMILY VOL. 2 TP: AND more Jimmy and finally substantial amounts of Lois! It's a good solicit month for Showcase Presents.

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #41: I will miss this book. I mean, where *else* can you get the Joker and Harley Quinn versus Ralph Dibny, Zatanna, and the Crimson Avenger?

THE PROGRAMME #7: Really, I've no idea, but I'm terribly amused at the concept of "super-powered Soviet weapons of mass destruction known as the 'Russian Dolls'".

BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE COLLECTOR SET: This strikes me as in terribly poor taste, although I don't imagine including Babs or Jim Gordon in the set would make things any better.

DC MINIMATES: I would be absolutely ECSTATIC if Salaak were packaged with his true love Ch'p, but I suppose we can't have everything. Renee!Question and Kate!Batwoman are exciting, though! As are the Red Son figures--too bad no fur hat Batman.