The List - 8/12/09

Well after a really slow week for comics last week, it looks like DC is trying to make up for it with one of the heaviest weeks I've seen in a while...

BATMAN #689 - "Long Shadows" continues! Batman forges ahead in his battle to retrieve the escapees from Arkham Asylum, while Two-Face begins a ground war of his own. Elsewhere, Penguin wants to become Gotham City's new king of crime, but to do so he has to make a deal with the devil. - As we're now knee deep into the Batman: Reborn event, I think it's safe to make assupmtions about the books now. Batman has been a decent read, nothing fantastic but not bad. Winnick is doing well keeping this a straight forward Batman story, much to the delight (or despair) of his detractors.

BLACKEST NIGHT #2 - The event of the summer continues! The dead rise across the DC Universe, bringing terror and darkness with them. What are the Black Lanterns? What do they want? Will Earth's greatest heroes survive long enough to find out – or will they join the Black Lantern Corps? - I'm really excited about this one, mostly because I don't know where it's heading next. Yeah, we're going to see more Black Lanterns of course, but it's now the overall story that I'm most looking forward to.

BLACKEST NIGHT: BATMAN #1 - Deadman can't shut out the cries of the dead rising as he comes to the aid of the new Batman. It's just in time, too, as the duo face a circus of zombies including the Black Lantern Flying Graysons! - I've always liked Deadman as a character, and I think that this might be the perfect vehicle for him to step out in. Seeing how Deadman reacts to his corpse being raised is going to be interesting, as well as how Dick Grayson handles his first big event in the Cowl.

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #39 - Just when things couldn't look any darker after the death and chaos of the Sciencell riot, Blackest Night descends on Oa! The black rings tear into the planet and the Lantern Crypt causing all the dead Corps members to rise and wreak havoc as a new and deadlier battle threatens to engulf not only the Corps, but the Universe itself! - This is where it all starts for the GLC. Previews show that the issue opens with Lanterns; Guy, Kyle, Soranik and Iolande arriving on Oa right after the onslaught of black rings tear through the crypts. This one is right up there with Blackest Night #2 on top of the "must read" pile.

RED ROBIN #3 - "The Grail" part 3 of 4! "Batman Reborn" continues, but is Red Robin's quest to find Bruce Wayne at an end? Because in a German museum, answers await. But to get to those answers, Red Robin has to go through the Global Guardian known as the Wild Huntsman. Making matters worse, Red Robin's got an unwanted ally – Ra's al Ghul! Also, discover what happened in the days after BATTLE FOR THE COWL? - I've always been a huge Robin fan, and while I've enjoyed this series so far, it hasn't wowed me yet. The premise for it is strong, but I'm still waiting for that moment where it really hits. Hopefully it happens soon, I probably won't be dropping this anytime soon since Tim Drake remains one of my favorite characters in the DC Universe, but I would like for this book to cement why.

TITANS #16 - Why has Starfire been acting odd the past few issues? Turns out the warrior woman has major rage issues coming out of her recent breakup with Dick Grayson, the events of FINAL CRISIS and more. Her super-powerful emotions could very well rip the team apart! - ...speaking of dropping books, I don't think I can do Titans anymore. I was originally excited to see the old guard back together, but this book has just been treading water for a while. When I go through my Previews and order for this month I'm really going to be thinking about whether or not the next Titans issue makes the List.

FABLES #83 - Part 1 of "Witches"! The business office got lost somewhere when Fabletown collapsed into ruins. Now Bufkin, the meek and mild flying monkey, is trapped inside with the evil witch Baba Yaga – and she's in a really bad mood. How is poor little Bufkin going to survive her tantrum? At the same time, Frau Totenkinder and the witches upstate at the Farm prepare to deal with Mister Dark down in what's left of Fabletown. - Bufkin has always been a great background character, and it's good to see him getting some attention. The Witches of Fabletown have been an overarching precense throughout the books entire run, but now they are also stepping into the limelight. After the fun but ultimately unfulfilling Great Fables Crossover, it's good to see the main Fables book back on track.

FABLES Vol. 12: THE DARK AGES - The 12th volume in the best-selling, award-winning FABLES series collects the epic from issues #76-82 of the acclaimed monthly series. If you've ever craved a guided tour of Fabletown's secret Manhattan location, prepare to be thrilled. Pinocchio has a field day taking a certain VIP around the city. And exactly which Fabletown denizens are no longer active (dead, alive or otherwise) just might shock you into a comic book coma. Also in this volume, you'll find the 4-part story featuring Freddy and Mouse, two local rogues who just want to get along and perhaps turn a bit of profit in the post-war, topsy-turvy world. Meanwhile, in Fabletown, a new political group forms called the Society of Seconds, and what they want doesn't seem very reasonable at all. - Finally another Fables trade to throw onto the shelf. This arc is still pretty fresh in my head but I can't wait to go through it again.

The List - 6/10/09

Been a while since there's been any new article, let alone a new List, but here's hoping that things will be a little more frequent now.

Here's my picks from this week's new releases:

BATMAN #687 - In this special epilogue to BATTLE FOR THE COWL, new BATMAN writer Judd Winick rejoins the Bat Family! This 40-page issue explores the final moments of the Battle for the Cowl as the new Batman learns that winning the Cowl comes at a high price! Witness the new Batman taking to the streets of Gotham City for the first time! Putting a new man inside the Bat-suit was the easy part – now the fun begins! Guest-starring Superman and Wonder Woman, this issue is a must-read for any Batman fan. - This issue seems like it has a lot going for it, from Dick Grayson's first meeting with Wonder Woman and Superman wearing the Cowl, an additional 8 pages of story, an extra $1 on the price tag and the return of Judd Winnick as writer (which depending on your point of view that could be a good thing or a bad thing).

The Flash: Rebirth #3 - At last, the answer to the question that's plagued DC fans for decades: Who's faster, Superman or The Flash? Call your bookie and bet the farm, because you've never seen a run like this – and if speedsters keep dying at the pace they're going, you might never see another one again! - While it's been a decent story so far, I feel like a lot of the wind was taken out of this series' sails by having Barry Allen return in the pages of the love it or hate it Final Crisis event. While the mini has picked up the pace a bit (Flash puns are always the easiest to work in), it still lacks the punch that John's and Van Sciver's Green Lantern: Rebirth mini had a few years ago.

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #37 - The penultimate "Emerald Eclipse" chapter is upon us as the breakout on Oa leads to vast devastation and death across the planet. As the War of Light rages, do Kyle Rayner, Guy Gardner, Kilowog and the rest of the Corps have the willpower to quell the riot and overcome the napalm-spewing Red Lanterns and the fear-spreading Sinestro Corps? - Both Green Lantern titles have become the books to watch going into this summer and GLC has been firing on all cylinders as it juggles multiple plotlines like the riots on Oa, the Natu/Sinestro relationahip, as well as the assault on Daxam, all the while the racing towards DC's Blackest Night mini-event.

RED ROBIN #1 - Writer Chris Yost (New X-Men, X-Force) and artist by Ramon Bachs (Civil War: Front Line) kick off a brand-new ongoing series right here with "The Grail" part 1 of 4! Following the aftermath of BATTLE FOR THE COWL, a new Batman watches over Gotham City. But not everyone is ready to give up on the old one. Someone believes that Bruce Wayne may still be alive…and that someone is Red Robin. But who is wearing the Red Robin costume, and why is he traveling the globe looking for a dead man? Whoever he is, he's not alone in his search! - From solicitaion info and his general lack of appearing in any of the other Bat-Family titles it's safe to assume that previous Robin, Tim Drake, will be assuming a new mantle with this title now that Damian Wayne has taken on the roll of Robin. Tim has always been a fantastic character and this new direction looks to be interesting while still keeping within the tone of the character. Meanwhile Yost has become one of the strongest and possibly most overlooked writers in Marvel's stable, so hopefully his work at DC will continue to be as strong.

TITANS #14 - Starting this issue, we begin one-shot "Day in the Life" stories. And this issue stars Cyborg! In the grueling aftermath of the "Deathtrap" arc, Vic Stone must face the very teammates he feels he let down big-time. How he deals with it will shock you! - Cyborg has always been one of those characters that never really did anything for me, and so far the TitansFreshman has been alright, so this one may surprise me.

title has been rather hit or miss (mind you it was a Judd Winnick launch). Hugh Sterbakov writes this one and his work with other young characters in Top Cow's

COVER GIRLS OF THE DC UNIVERSE: WONDER WOMAN - My big collectible for the month, this statue sees the launch of a new collectible series designed by cheesecake or "Good Girl" artist Adam Hughes. Love his style or not, you've got to admit, the guy knows what he's doing.