We close out the week with three books featuring the Trinity of DC Comics – Batman in Detective Comics, Superman in Action Comics and Wonder Woman in… well… Wonder Woman.
All three books featured today are books that are being published twice a month. In the case of Detective Comics and Action Comics, that means the books will hit that magic “1,000” number twice as fast.
Detective Comics 937
Written by James Tynion IV
Pencils by Alvaro Martinez
Inks by Raul Fernandez
Batman needs to be rescued. What is this craziness? The man who is so prepared for any occasion that he carries Kryptonite in his utility belt (which is highlighted early on in this iissue) has been captured by a military operation called The Colony. The group is patterning itself after the Bat and his partners to take down foreign threats. The group just happens to be led by Bruce Wayne’s uncle, who is also the father of Kate Kane, Batwoman.
The concept of Detective Comics was to have Batman put together a team, with co-leader Batwoman, made up of Red Robin, Spoiler and former villain Clayface. Before the team even gets a chance to train as a unit, they have to go in and save Batman from Batwoman’s father. The team that captured Batman is going to be infiltrated by a group who has barely managed to train together.
In addition to the above-mentioned Kryptonite, the creative team manages to throw in some other Easter eggs throughout the book, with a Dark Knight Returns cover hanging as a poster in a cubicle. Also, Batman’s reaction when someone takes a selfie with him is exactly what you would expect on page 11 of the digital edition.
We have a showdown between Batman’s team and the Colony set up for at least the next issue, and I look forward to seeing how Tynion handles the supposed “training” aspect of the book, as it feels like this story could have been built up over a year or so before pulling the trigger instead of just a couple of issues.
Wonder Woman 3
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by Liam Sharp
Unlike the other DC Comics being published twice monthly, Wonder Woman is splitting its issues between two stories. The odd-number issues, like this one, focus on the story of Diana trying to figure out the reality of her background and where she actually comes from.
I was a big fan of what Brian Azzarello did on Wonder Woman with his New 52 story, assisted greatly by the art of Cliff Chiang, and it feels like writer Greg Rucka’s first order of business in coming back to Wonder Woman is to wipe out anything he didn’t bring to the character to once again make Diana his own. And while it’s not completely unheard of, when a character’s most consistent aspect is that nothing is consistent, you get Hawkman-level problems and people stop wanting to read about the character.
I’m definitely interested to see where “The Lies” storyline goes from here, and Liam Sharp’s art is fantastic, but I wasn’t a huge fan of Rucka’s Wonder Woman the first time around. It might take a lot to ensure I stick around this time, too.
Action Comics 960
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Tyler Kirkham
The Superman books have been the best comeback of Rebirth, with a renewed quality and care for the character. Putting the pre-Flashpont Superman and Lois Lane back in the focus, along with making them parents, has led to a great rejuvenation. And Dan Jurgens has been the perfect guy to put on writing duties for Superman’s flagship title.
Right out of the gate, we’ve got a huge story with a lot going. Lex Luthor has adopted the S shield as his own. The pre-Flashpoint Doomsday is on a rampage. A mysterious figure is watching events from afar – and is he tied into Rebrith? Oh, and while there’s an older Superman and a dead Superman on this world, there’s also a completely human Clark Kent. Jurgens is playing with a whole mess of story lines here. Introducing Wonder Woman – the New 52 Superman’s girlfriend – into this already jam-packed tale shows just how deftly Jurgens can handle the Man of Steel. And watching Diana interact with Lois and Jon was a very sweet moment.
Another bonus of this issue is the art by Tyler Kirkham, which is just absolutely gorgeous. And I love that they are able to distinguish the older Superman and this mystery Clark Kent without making them look too similar. Fantastic work all around.
The fight with Doomsday continues in two weeks, and I can’t wait to see where Jurgens goes with this.
That’s all for this week in Subway Shorts. We’ll be back on Friday when we start a few days of reviews, looking at more Superman and Batman, Green Arrow and Greeen Lanterns, Justice League and more.