WEDNESDAY COMICS!

Well, we’re roughly 22 days away from DC’s next weekly project, “Wednesday Comics” (release date July 8, 2009) and as I’d planned to cover it before release, I figured the “lateness” of this column landing on a Wednesday was the perfect opportunity.

Two things I love about DC is it’s iconic, classic heroes and the company’s willingness to experiment. Like DC’s SOLO and ALL STAR line, Wednesday Comics is presenting DCU’s sandbox sans continuity restraint by fantastic talent.

Mark Chiarello, you may not know his name, but you’ve read his stuff (if you haven’t, shame on you!). He’s the man behind such projects as Batman Black & White and SOLO (both unrestrained “takes” by talented creators), in addition to teaming Jim Lee and Jeph Loeb together for the popular “Hush” run on Batman.

Just look at what’s lined up!

* Batman – story by Brian Azzarello with art by Eduardo Risso

* Adam Strange – story and art by Paul Pope

* Metamorpho – story by Neil Gaiman with art by Michael Allred

* The Demon and Catwoman – story by Walter Simonson with art by Brian Stelfreeze

* Deadman – story by Dave Bullock and Vinton Heuck with art by Dave Bullock

* Kamandi – story by Dave Gibbons with art by Ryan Sook

* Superman – story by John Arcudi with art by Lee Bermejo

* Wonder Woman – story and art by Ben Caldwell

* Green Lantern – story by Kurt Busiek with art by Joe Quiñones

* Teen Titans – story by Eddie Berganza with art by Sean Galloway

* Supergirl – story by Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Amanda Conner

* Hawkman – story and art by Kyle Baker

* Sgt. Rock – story by Adam Kubert with art by Joe Kubert

* The Flash – story by Karl Kerschl and Brenden Fletcher with art by Karl Kerschl

* Metal Men – story by Dan Didio with art by José Luis García-López

Each issue featuring 16 pages in a huge 28″ x 20″ tabloid-sized format will run for 12 issues (one a week) and comes folded twice into a 7″ x 10″ size so you can still fit them in standard bags/ boards if that’s your thing.  Keeping with the format, DC announced that USA TODAY will be syndicating the Superman strips into their newspapers and online site! Huge comics! Huge characters! Huge talent! What’s not to love!

Regarding the above statement, it’s not going to make some happy with the format unfortunately, plus some may not pick it up either due to price point ($3.99) or the “lack” of continuity. The talent alone should be the selling point, but I know small groups of retailers and fans are concerned with “how well will it do?/ how many to order?” and “Should I pick it up?/ Wait for the trade?” respectively. With the “waiting for the trade”, it’s unknown if the size will remain in collected editions or even if the entire series will be collected in one edition?

So, if you’re on the fence about it, despite my DC bias I think this is going to be one of the greatest books of the year, so take a chance on it. Tell your local retailer to order it in for you as you wont want to miss out!

And on another note, Mark Chiarello is the man who should be spearheading a new line of DC comics either “rebooted” or “remixed” like an Ultimates line, only ten times more excellent (as DC has the greatest superheroes in my opinion). All Star Comics is great for what it is, but I still want to see a new line of DC with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and co. sans nearly a century of continuity (I’m more a “consistency guy if you couldn’t tell).

Things you must buy this week!! My DC picks of the week! (full ship list below)

DC Comics available today, 6/17/2009

BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM #1

Written by Paul Dini and Marc Andreyko; Art by Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs and Georges Jeanty and Karl Story; Cover by Dustin Nguyen : Variant Cover by JG Jones

Paul Dini and Dustin Nguyen return to Gotham City, this time with more of a focus on the people of the city, like secondary support characters such as Commissioner Gordon and the GCPD. Judging from solicitation info, “Bruce Wayne” will be returning with Dini & Nguyen continuing their story with Hush/ “Tommy” Elliot/ Faux Wayne.

Also, Marc Andreyko and Georges Jeanty will be continuing the adventures of Kate Spencer AKA Manhunter as she sets up shop as Gotham’s new DA.

BATMAN: THE BLACK CASEBOOK

Written by Bill Finger, Edmond Hamilton and others; Art by Sheldon Moldoff, Dick Sprang and others; Cover by Alex Ross

Featuring reprints of Batman #65, 86, 112, 113, 134, 156 And 162, Detective Comics #215, 235, 247 And 267, And World’s Finest Comics #89 and an intro by Grant Morrison. A “must have” for fans of classic Batman, and/or insight into recent Batman stories in Morrison’s run.

HITMAN VOL. 1: A RAGE IN ARKHAM – NEW PRINTING

Written by Garth Ennis; Art by John McCrea

Preview Available at dccomics.com

Hitman “finally” avalible again in a new series of Softcover TPB’s collecting The Demon Annual #2, The Batman Chronicles #4 And Hitman #1-3! Batman hits a guy (Tommy Monaghan, the title character of the series) so hard he pukes on him!

THE STARMAN OMNIBUS VOL. 3

Written by James Robinson; Art by Tony Harris, Gene Ha, Dusty Abell, Phil Jimenez, J.H. Williams III and others; Cover by Tony Harris

Collecting Starman #30-38, Starman Annual #2, Starman Secret Files #1 And The Shade #1-4. Features a Batman team-up that includes the greatest Solomon Grundy story ever told, and a discussion on favorite Woody Allen Movies (Batman in naturally resistant to such shenanigans).

DC/ JOHNNY DC

* ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #12

* BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM #1

* BATMAN: THE BLACK CASEBOOK

* THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #24

* CARTOON NETWORK BLOCK PARTY #58

* FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH: DANCE #2 (OF 6)

*FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH: ESCAPE #2 (OF 6)

* GREEN ARROW/BLACK CANARY #21

* GREEN LANTERN: SINESTRO CORPS WAR VOL. 2

* HITMAN VOL. 1: A RAGE IN ARKHAM – NEW PRINTING

* THE OUTSIDERS #19

* POWER GIRL #2

* THE QUESTION: THE FIVE BOOKS OF BLOOD

* THE STARMAN OMNIBUS VOL. 3

* SUPERGIRL #42

* SUPERMAN/BATMAN #61

* TINY TITANS #17

* VIGILANTE #7

* WILL EISNER’S THE SPIRIT ARCHIVES VOL. 26

VERTIGO

* AIR #10

* FABLES #85

* HELLBLAZER #256

* JACK OF FABLES #35

* YOUNG LIARS #16

WILDSTORM

* EX MACHINA #43

* GEARS OF WAR SOURCEBOOK

* MYSTERIUS: THE UNFATHOMABLE #6 (OF 6)

* SLEEPER SEASON ONE

* WORLD OF WARCRAFT #20

DC DIRECT

*LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT BOX SET (feat. 4 repaint figures, Batman, Commissioner James Gordon, Joker, and Two-Face + Legends Of The Dark Knight Special, a unique 64-page collection of stories featuring each character’s secret origin and other tales.)

*DC UNLIMITED: WORLD OF WARCRAFT: SERIES 4: LADY VASHJ

*DC UNLIMITED: WORLD OF WARCRAFT: SERIES 4: MURLOC 2-PACK: FISH-EYE AND GIBBERGIL

*DC UNLIMITED: WORLD OF WARCRAFT: SERIES 4: SUCCUBUS DEMON: AMBERLASH

For more info check out dccomics.com!

Thanks for reading!