4-SENTENCE REVIEWS (SEP. 12-18)

Batman and Robin #0
(Tomasi, Gleason, Gray)

If you have to ask yourself - in the middle of your first read through - what the point of this issue, something has gone terribly, terribly wrong. Indeed, Peter J. Tomasi missteps with Batman and Robin #0, opting to give readers a completely unnecessary look at Damian's childhood amongst the League of Assassins. If DC is truly keeping with it's stance that Batman's history is intact, there should be no reason to explain Damian's origins yet again - there really is no inventiveness at all. And the real tragedy is, this could have been done extremely well, but Tomasi simply drops the ball and takes the easiest route possible. After a lackluster "Terminus" arc and now this, I'm starting to question whether or not I even want to keep following B&R.

GRADE: D

Green Lantern Corps #0

(Tomasi, Pasarin, Hanna)

Wowee did Peter J. Tomasi have a tough week, first with Batman and Robin #0, and now Green Lantern Corps #0, another unnecessary issue that doesn't give much in the way of interesting narrative. Sure, we get a good look at Guy Gardner before he gets his emerald ring, but this series is called Green Lantern CORPS for a reason, and Tomasi has not been honoring that title. For a series that's supposed to be about one of the most extensive, impressive, and powerful organizations in the universe, it's hard to justify an "Issue Zero" that only focuses on one single character, no matter if he's one of the protagonists or not. Seriously, I just felt let down the entire time, and that's not a good feeling to have in a month that's supposed to be about catching a similar spark that DC achieved last year.

GRADE: C-

Before Watchmen: Comedian #3 of 6
(Azzarello, Jones)

There really is no way to describe how little I care for the Comedian after reading Brian Azzarello and J.G. Jones' Before Watchmen: Comedian - with each passing issue, Eddie Blake becomes more and more ridiculously vile and twisted in a way that doesn't create a "love to hate him" situation, but just a simple hatred. This month, instead of killing innocent civilians in Vietnam, Eddie is pissed because people are protesting that he was killing innocent people in Vietnam; it's totally hypocritical. Oh, and then he decides he'll just head on over to Los Angeles and just make the rioting all the worse by provoking people into looting and beating each other up. In what way, in what world does Brian Azzarello believe he's making Eddie Blake a relatable or even interesting character?

GRADE: F

The Ravagers #0

(Mackie, Churchill, Rapmund)

Garfield and Tara are kidnapped by Harvest and N.O.W.H.E.R.E., experimented on until they become paranoid and edgy, they rebel against Harvest, but still get stuck in the Crucible - THAT'S IT. Howard Mackie takes a full issue of The Ravagers to flesh out the prior sentence of storyline, something that could have easily been achieved in a fraction of the page space, leaving room to explain other characters associated with this series (not to mention Caitlin Fairchild, a main character with deep ties to Superboy as well) meaning this really isn't an origins issue for the team featured in this series at all. Sure, the fact that Beast Boy was relatively normal until N.O.W.H.E.R.E. got it's hands on him is a revelation that will bear consequences for the future, but the more stock put into the diabolical scheming of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and Harvest without an adequate reason just works to make readers all the more confused. The Ravagers is the weakest of the Young Justice titles DC is currently publishing, and it's a basic problem of indirection - Mackie doesn't seem to have any idea where he's going with these characters and it's painfully obvious.

GRADE: D

Team 7 #0
(Jordan, Merino)

While Team 7 #0 does an excellent job introducing the various members of the titles namesake, it very much feels like this should have been issue #1 - I know that's a nitpick-y issue with an otherwise solid issue, but it stayed with me the entire time I was reading. Because Team 7 starts five years in the past, this series is poised to give readers a great look into the years before the official beginning of the 'New 52', something fans have been clamoring for since the beginning. Of course, the inclusion of such characters as Deathstroke, Grifter, and Black Canary (before any of them took these monikers) helps give credence to the team's connection to the superhero world, while also including some new characters (like Alex Fairchild, father of Caitlin from Superboy and The Ravagers) means this isn't just a history class, but also a chance to expand this new universe with some cool new faces. While I will hold that this "Issue Zero" should have highlighted the team members before they were recruited, I'm still ready to keep up with this series going forward.

GRADE: B

X-Treme X-Men #3

(Pak, Segovia, Diaz, Crisostomo)

I really didn't give X-Treme X-Men a chance at first, unfairly assuming it would be one of the weaker X-books available, but still slightly intrigued by the Exiles-esque multidimensional adventuring. The premise itself was rather silly (ten evil Xaviers across dimensions who need to be put down), but this first arc that takes the team to a world where gods actually exist was absolutely engrossing - the betrayals, the twists, and the character development have all been excellently handled by Greg Pak, with amazing artwork from Stephen Segovia and Paco Diaz. While X-Treme X-Men may never be as good as Exiles, it's got a lot of good potential: Captain Howlett apparently was in a relationship with the Hercules from his dimension, a 14-year-old Kurt Waggoner just wants to make a difference after failing to save his family, and Dazzler from our world is out to prove herself when Cyclops talks down about her. If Pak keeps up the momentum, this series is set to be one of the best fringe series Marvel offers.

GRADE: B

4-SENTENCE REVIEWS (AUG 8-13)

Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #2 of 4
(Wein, Lee)


Part of being an effective storyteller is knowing when to leverage 'showing' as opposed to 'telling', how to portray a character in the best way, and figuring out the best way to keep your audience interested. In the case of Ozymandias, Len Wein has found a nigh-perfect balance with Adrien Veidt, a man who takes the time to dictate his own autobiography because he's exactly the kind of person who would do something like that. While other characters like Comedian and (most of) the Minutemen weren't heavily characterized, even in the original Watchmen, Ozymandias has always had a god complex, a feeling that is thrilling to watch evolve as Adrien discovers more and more about how to be the hero he wants to be. I went into this series expecting it to be one of my least favorite of this whole Before Watchmen experiment, but I've found that it's pleasantly enjoyable and actually adds information that's worth reading (instead of, say, showing Eddie Blake killing Vietnamese soldiers).

GRADE: B

The Ravagers #4

(Mackie, Sampere, Martino, Rapmund)

The Ravagers has been anything but consistent so far in it's run that started back in May as part of DC's 'New 52: Second Wave' - it started as a spin-off to an already convoluted storyline, and since then hasn't really been able to pull itself up above being a series about a bunch of troubled kids who are angst-ridden. Now, this might be tolerable if the plot was strong, but Howard Mackie has really struggled to characterize and develop any of the main players of this series: Caitlin Fairchild is almost exclusively a worry machine, Thunder and Lightning have a stereotypical brother and sister relationship, I still really have no idea who Ridge is, while Beast Boy and Terra exhibit super-cliched "us vs. them" isolationist behavior. And they aren't actually even 'Ravagers' at all, in the strictest sense, meaning that this series' title is a total mislead. I have to hope for something better in the future, as all of these characters could be connected to other teenage series down the road - something I hope will inject something interesting into this lackluster series.

GRADE: C-

Spider-Men #4 of 5
(Bendis, Pichelli)

One my biggest pet peeves about comic books is misleading covers, and Spider-Men #4 commits a capitol sin in this regard, showing a broken and beaten Miles Morales in the arms of a distressed Peter Parker - a powerful image that never, irritatingly, ever happens in this issue, or even comes close to happening. In fact, this entire issue is about relationships, foregoing most if not all fighting in exchange for Peter connecting with people he's lost in his own universe, as well as meeting alternate versions of some of his closest allies. There's nothing wrong with this issue, per se - the emotional impact of Peter being in the Ultimate universe are palpable at Brian Michael Bendis' hand, and Sara Pichelli's artwork is stunning as ever - but the fact that the image on the cover was decided upon purely to sell more issues is truly frustrating. It's frustrating when such a good issue from such a good series and such good creators has such a big flub.

GRADE: B-

UPCOMING REVIEWS (AUG 8-14, 2012)

Batman #12
(Snyder, Cloonan)
- Now that "The City of Owls" is behind us, Batman moves forward with a stand-alone issue before the next month's Issue Zero then the return of the Joker in Batman #13. For now, we get a look at Harper Row, a new character Snyder is introducing who's actually made an appearance or two already!

Batman and Robin #12

(Tomasi, Gleason)

- This is the final fight with Terminus? I really feel like there hasn't been a first fight with Terminus, let alone a final one. But what do I know? Hopefully, the "War of the Robins" story continues this month, as it has proved a far better narrative than anything to do with that weirdo with a needle fetish.

Resurrection Man #12

(Abnett, Lanning, Saiz)

- It's the final issue of Resurrection Man, not counting next month's Issue Zero, which tells the tale of Mitch Shelley's origin. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning will be wrapping things up nice and tight, hopefully, by giving us a definitive look at the way everything started going to Hell for Mitch.

Spider-Men #4 of 5

(Bendis, Pichelli)

- We've all been waiting for the meeting between Peter Parker-616 and Ultimate Aunt May (which is totally awesome to type), and it started happening at the end of last issue. Now, we get the fully reunion between two people who lost the most important people in their lives. Classic Bendis.

Superboy #12

(DeFalco, Silva)

- Yeesh. It seems, by way of DC promo material, that this issue of Superboy is about Kon-El dealing with dark influences and the choice he has to make whether to stay good or go bad. That's about as sappy and cliche as a teenage story can get, so hopefully Tom DeFalco has something up his sleeve to pull this story out of mediocrity.

4-Sentence Reviews
- Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #2 of 4
- Space: Punisher #2 of 4
- The Ravagers #4
- X-Treme X-Men #2

(COMIC) THE RAVAGERS #1

STORY: Howard Mackie
ART: Ian Churchill and Norm Rapmund


If you (at all) have been following my coverage of Superboy and Teen Titans since January, you'll know how much I've come to dislike both series for their condescending narrative tones oddly juxtaposed against overly-complicated plots. These issues have been persistent since the 'New 52' relaunch back in September when each series relied on one another to keep a single, but painfully fractured story moving forward. Of course, two series wasn't enough for Scott Lobdell who pens both TT and Superboy - over the past month, "The Culling" has spanned both of Lobdell's series as well as Legion Lost to (not really) flesh out a story that ended with a fizzle. Apparently, even that wasn't enough and now, The Ravagers takes some of the most disposable characters from Lobdell's ridiculous imagination and spins them out into their own title.

Fan-favorite Caitlin Fairchild from Wildstorm's Gen13 takes center stage as she attempts to keep the victims of Harvest's culling safe in the real world after the Titans and Legionnaires managed to annoy him enough to make him run off to one of this other super-awesome underground facilities. Notice I did not say they defeated him. Other characters include the mysterious, lizard-like Ridge; the brother and sister duo, Thunder and Lightning; along with Terra and Beast Boy, two characters who have panel time only as fan service and nothing else. Seriously, both Terra and Beast Boy are little more than cardboard cutouts placed into panels so other characters can talk at them. They rarely interact with anyone else, and they go off on their own within the first five pages. DC pulled a big grift with this one, pulling buyers in with the promise of two beloved characters from an awesome TV show. These two will be the main reason I read The Ravagers at all, but if their panel time continues to be this sparse, it won't be worth the effort at all.

Thunder and Lightning are pretty stupid too. I mean, I'm no expert - nor even a scholar of Lobdell, and now Mackie's, work - but shouldn't these two have developed more control over their powers if they'd been fighting in the Scarlett Letter The Crucible all those years? A lot of tertiary characters are out of sight and out of mind, as well. Fairchild led dozens of kids away from Harvest, and now we only get to see six or seven of them.

What's worst about The Ravagers is that it's boring. When N.O.W.H.E.R.E. agents arrive and offer a surrender, many of the kids go off on their former captors, spewing ridiculousness like "I'll make you pay!" and "I'll have my revenge!" While Mackie doesn't insult the reader with his charmless syntax and diction like Lobdell, his overall narrative is so long in the tooth that it seems pointless to read it again. Why would I need another series about emotionally scarred super-kids to follow? I've already got countless X-Men titles, the constant awkwardness of Teen Titans, and the amazing quality of Young Justice over on Cartoon Network to keep me sane.


The Ravagers is just unnecessary, and that's a big weak point when it comes to a series that's supposed to be all-action all the time. The series is called The Ravagers, yet these MAIN CHARACTERS are not Ravagers! Rose Wilson and Warblade are Ravagers, and they appear and attack Fairchild & Co., but the entire title of this book is a total and complete misdirect. Who knows, maybe Mackie has amazing plans for this title down the line and I'll just need to sit it out and wait. Unfortunately for me, I have to endure characters like Ridge until DC gets it's shit together.

GRADE:

C

(THE WEEK) MAY 30 - JUNE 5, 2012

COMIC COVERAGE

Batman Annual #1

(Snyder, Tynion IV, Fabok)

"Night of the Owls" continues as Mr. Freeze's connection to the Court of Owls is revealed! Extra-long premier Annual issue for Batman!

The Ravagers #1 (SPECIAL COVERAGE)

(Mackie, Churchill)

DC's 'New 52: Second Wave' finishes up it's first month with the aftermath of "The Culling", the crossover event connecting Superboy, Teen Titans, and Legion: Lost. See what happens to the 'other' metahuman teenagers that didn't get to go with the Legionnaires or the Titans.

Superman #9

(Johns, Reis)

I know, I know: this issue was released last week and I never reviewed it! Well, this week is a little scarce on new material - being a 5th week, and all - so I'll be going back to cover this issue of Superman for your reading pleasure.

Wonder Woman #9

(Azzarello, Akins)

Another issue this month I neglected to review. Check out how Diana's trip into Hell is going.

(COMIC) TEEN TITANS #9

STORY: Scott Lobdell and Tom DeFalco
ART: Ig Guara and JP Mayer

"The Culling" has been a mixed bag when it comes to crossover events. While the series connected to the event - Superboy, Teen Titans, and Legion: Lost - haven't really been the critical achievements DC probably hoped they would be (except Legion: Lost - who knows why this book is around), this crossover between the three has made for a compelling read. I mean, what better way to introduce a whole cadre of characters into the 'New 52'? But instead of bringing "The Culling" to a satisfying conclusion, Teen Titans #9 wades around in it's own ridiculous plot so long it becomes tedious.

Harvest has, so far, been an enigmatic villain. With no backstory and only minute references to his true agenda, it's hard to find any sense - and thus, meaning - in anything he does. Villains need just as much motive as heroes to affect their actions, and Harvest has no motive, so to speak. It's incredibly frustrating as a reader because Harvest simply flies away after the Titans and Legionnaires destroy his base (or whatever compound of weirdly-named locations he traipsed about.) There is literally no conclusion.

Basically, Caitlin Fairchild gets all the metahuman teenagers out of the Scarlett Letter the Crucible and the two teams go all-out on Old No-Eyes. The fighting isn't even satisfying because throughout the pages and pages of brawling, Harvest keeps blathering on about his new world order, or whatever it is he talks about. He's basically reduced to a super-annoying demi-god with no real purpose. Supposedly, he meant for the kids to escape so they can be dangerous in public so the government will need organizations like N.O.W.H.E.R.E., not only to curb the rise of teenage metahuman crime, but also to placate the job demand for silly name acronyms. Then he flies away. That's it. Oh, then the Titans wake up on some island?

If you look back at my review of Superboy #9 and even Teen Titans Annual #1, you'll see that I was actually enjoying this story more than I have for either series thus far. But this sloppy, uninteresting "conclusion" is so weak, it drags down the entire crossover.

GRADE:

C-

(COMIC) SUPERBOY #9

STORY: Scott Lobdell and Tom DeFalco
ART: R.B. Silva, Rob Lean, and Iban Coello

It came as no surprise to me when I found Superboy #9 to be one of the best issues of the series. While Scott Lobdell still finds ways to make really silly mistakes, those instances are minimal this issue. This month, Superboy, Teen Titans, and Legion: Lost are all part of "The Culling", a crossover event that pits the Titans and Legionnaires against Harvest and his team of Ravagers. Superboy #9 stands as Part 2 of the four-part epic, giving it a 'will-they-wont-they' approach to the fates of these kids against a psychopathic paranoid monster.

The Titans and Legionnaires - along with other, unaffiliated metahuman kids like Beast Boy and Terra - find it difficult to work together, let alone trust one another, a sentiment that can be easily felt by readers who pick up Teen Titans every month, but not Legion: Lost, or vice-versa; if you don't readily recognize these characters, you find yourself agreeing when Red Robin doesn't want to include the Legionnaires in his strategy, for example. The actual 'Culling' is basically your "Battle Royale" scenario - most famously grafted onto a post-apocalyptic world for this year's infamous The Hunger Games - where the children are forced to fight each other to the death in order to see who has what it takes to join the ranks of Harvest's Ravagers.

"The Culling" storyline began last week in Teen Titans Annual #1 and served mostly to introduce (and in some cases kill off) characters like Terra, Beast Boy, Artemis, Thunder, Lightning, and others - all of whom had some connection to the Titans before the Flashpoint event. Superboy #9 takes the next logical step and features the main battle between the teamed-up Titans and Legionnaires squaring off against Rose Wilson and the other Ravagers.

My opinions concerning origin stories and Lobdell's handling of the Titans and Superboy thus far set aside, if you're going to pump your titles full of fights, you better make them awesome and in the case of Superboy #9, they are. Basically, it boils down to Superboy vs. Warblade and Red Robin vs. Rose Wilson with a few other heroes helping out here and there. By the end of the issue, all the other Ravagers have been taken out, and Harvest descends to take on all the teenaged superheroes by himself. It's a pretty awesome moment to end on and leads directly into Legion: Lost #9.

GRADE:

B+

PS - Seeing as Legion: Lost #9 is the third act of "The Culling", followed by part four in Teen Titans next week, I figured I could give you a little information about LL#9  if you don't regularly read it, just in case you want to know what's happening when you pick up TT#9 next week.

Basically, Legion: Lost #9 is an issue-long battle between the combined forces of the Teen Titans, the Legionnaires, and the other Culling participants against the awesome power of Harvest, who seems to be deflecting and countering any and all attacks made against him. Also, the issue is littered with instances of Harvest referencing the 31st century, knowledge of the Legion, and Bart Allen's true history. In fact, Harvest explains that the Legionnaires were never lost - he had called for them. In many respects, LL#9 makes it seem like "The Culling" is more or less the endgame to the origin story for the Titans, Superboy, and the lost Legionnaires, providing a platform with which to reveal secret information, make or break alliances, and finish up all this ongoing-epic stuff that has lasted a whole 9 issues for all three of these series.

(NEWS) COMING SOON [update]

Hello Readers!

About a week ago, I outlined some of the new additions coming to "The Endless Reel" in the coming months. In last week, I've launched both the (DC NATION) segment of the site, and reviewed Avengers Vs. X-Men #0. Of course, next month Marvel's main event between Earth's mightiest heroes and the the protectors of all mutantkind starts it's bi-weekly run!

Starting in May, DC's second wave of 'New 52' titles launches. Previously, I announced that "The Endless Reel" would be covering both Dial H and Earth Two. At the time, I didn't want to overload myself with content to cover. As this site continued to grow, I realized that more content is better. In the spirit of jumping in head first, I've decided to add a few more titles to the lineup. Along with the already announced Dial H and Earth Two, I'll also be covering Grant Morrison's experimental series, Batman, Incorporated; and the adventures of Huntress and Power Girl in World's Finest.

 I'd like to add a third new title from the upcoming second wave, but I'm having trouble deciding between two books. I'm split between The Ravagers, a spin-off from Teen Titans and Superboy featuring Deathstroke's daughter, Rose Wilson, and G.I. Combat, the replacement series for Men of War which re-imagines classic DC military stories for the modern age.

I want the readers to decide which title for "The Endless Reel" to cover.

In the comments section, leave your decision for which of these two series I should cover when they launch in May. I'll tally up the results and make a final decision.

Until next time,
- Jay

(COMIC) SUPERBOY #7

Written by Scott Lobdell and Tom DeFalco
Artwork by R.B. Silva, Rob Lean, and Iban Coello

A few months ago, a friend recommended I read The Hunger Games. If you haven't heard of this franchise by now, let's just say it's getting pretty big. So, I downloaded the ebook, loaded it onto my Kindle Touch and sat down to check it out. I had already been to the Wikipedia page, so I had a general idea of what I was getting myself into. After three sentences, I turned my Kindle off and I haven't attempted to read it again, nor will I. The Hunger Games is written in a terrible point of view; first-person present, making all the pronouns and verbs present-tense. First-person present is like the frat boy douche of narrative modes; they think they sound sooo good, while in reality they sound cocky, pretentious, and narcissistic. Unfortunately, Superboy falls into this category.

On a personal level, I despise first-person present tense because it makes me feel that the author thinks his audience is dumb, unable to make connections and infer ideas on their own, like they absolutely need a guiding hand to make sure the terribly super-complicated superhero story plot can be conveyed appropriately. It's insulting and belittling. Of course, the narrative point of view is only one of the bad parts about Scott Lobdell's Superboy.


Tactile telekinesis is the worst. It's such a vague, overly-used power that it's lost any real definition and simply become an amorphous idea that gives writers an easy out for a variety of situations. Stuck in a cell?; telekinesis. Not strong enough?; telekinesis. Have all the powers of Superman and still a whiny little brat?; in Lobdell's case, Superboy and his telekinesis. It's hard watching a character who used to have conviction and a strong base be turned into the 'New 52's version of Connor Oberst with superpowers.

"Whew! Centerhall's energy barrage hurt a lot more than I let on!" thinks Superboy in the least-convincing though ever. EVER. No one talks like that let alone has thoughts like that in their heads! It's preposterous that Lobdell hopes to keep readers engaged while treating them like infants. All in all, Superboy continues to leave me wanting more, whether it's actual character development, something close to an advancing narrative, or even a good reason for things to happen would be nice.

Even the cover looks unbecoming!

GRADE:

D

Analysis: The Second Wave of the New 52

Analysis




The Second Wave of the New 52

Recently, DC announced the cancellation of six titles from Septembers relaunch called the 'new 52.' The six titles include the Rob Liefield-penciled Hawk and Dove, as well as Men of War (Brandon, Derrenick), Mister Terrific (Wallace, Gugliotta), Static Shock (Bernadin, McDaniel), Blackhawks (Costa, Lashley), and O.M.A.C., penned by DC co-publisher Dan DiDio. DC cited low sales as reason for their cancellation. While this may have been true for the excellent O.M.A.C. and Men of War, critics have lamented titles such as Hawk and Dove and Blackhawks for poor writing and directionless storytelling.

DC followed up news of the cancellations with the announcement of six new titles to fill the empty slots that will new known as the 'Second Wave' of New 52 titles. They are as follows. I've added some commentary, but take it with a grain of salt until you read them when they launch and judge for yourself.



Batman Incorporated (Volume 2)
Written by Grant Morrison
Pencilled by Chris Bunham

Honestly, did we really need a second run of Batman, Inc? Was anyone but Grant Morrison clamoring to do this? At this point, I'm sure Morrison has DC by the balls and is pretty much allowed to do whatever he wants, despite how weird it gets (anyone remember Seven Soliders back in 2004?) I tried to read Batwing back in September, but was sorely disappointed, so I'm not too hot on Batman Incorporated.




Earth 2
Written by James Robinson
Pencilled by Nicola Scott

On the flip side, Earth 2 is the book fans have been clamoring for since the Justice Society of America went away back before Flashpoint screwed everything up for everyone ever. Instead of mucking up it's own established history of superheroes only appearing 5-10 years ago, DC has opted to give readers the Justice Society once more, but will keep them on their native Earth 2 in the multiverse...which now seems to exist again. Some might argue that this title calls into question if Infinite Crisis ever happened, while others will keep their mouths shut and be happy to have a Justice Society title once again.


World's Finest
Written by Paul Levitz
Pencilled by George Perez and Kevin Maguire

Another puzzling choice, but for different reasons than Batman Incorporated. Powerl Girl and Huntress will be the focus of World's Finest, starring as citizens of Earth 2 trapped in our universe trying to find a way back home. I understand the desire to introduce more characters into the revamped universe, and I think World's Finest is an excellent way to do that. Honestly, I just wonder why Power Girl and Huntress specifically? I understand they're both from Earth 2, but in this revamped world, they could have paired almost any character with Power Girl and made it work because why not! I'll remain optimistically skeptical until I read the first issue.


Dial H
Written by China Mieville
Pencilled by Mateus Santoluoco

A re-imagining of Dial H for Hero, this new series by novelist China Mieville sounds awesome! The concept revolves around a mysterious dial that grants normal people superpowers for a short time by entering H-E-R-O on the dial. Not too dissimilar to Resurrection Man, an already fantastic series, Dial H has the potential to be a great showcase of heroes and powers.


G.I. Combat
Written by J.T. Krul (main issue), Jimmy Palmiotti (back-ups), and Jon Arcudi (back-ups)
Pencilled by Ariel Olivetti (main issue), Justin Grey (back-ups), and Scott Kolins (back-ups)

As you can see from the list of authors and artists, G.I. Combat is going to be a more collaborative effort. While DC cancelled Men of War and Blackhawks, it's two military-themed books, this new series will be reinterpreting classic DC military tales for the modern age, including the first primary arc about the War that Time Forgot. Back-up tales featuring the Unknown Soldier and the Haunted Tank are on schedule with more to come!


The Ravagers
Written by Howard Mackie
Pencilled by Ian Churchill

Loosely spun-off from events in Superboy and Teen Titans, this new series from Howard Mackie will tell the tale of four super-powered teenagers on the run from N.O.W.H.E.R.E., a sinister organization trying to turn them into super-villains. My assumption is that Rose Wilson, daughter of Deathstroke, will be among the group, seeing as her moniker was Ravager before the 'new 52' relaunch and she's been heavily featured in Superboy since it debuted.