Jason Todd: Robin, Red Hood, Arkham Knight Appreciation 2020

[Sergard]

A little off-topic but Robin Jason is on the cover: Return to Sean Murphy's Batman: White Knight with Harley Quinn spin-off this October

DC plans a return to the universe of Sean Murphy's Batman: White Knight in a new Harley Quinn spin-off series launching this October. Murphy will co-write the series with his wife, Katana Collins, with artist Matteo Scalera and colorist Dave Stewart rounding out the core creative team.

[...]

"Introducing the first spinoff series in Sean Murphy's White Knight universe! Two years have passed since Azrael wiped out Gotham's most formidable villains in Batman: Curse of the White Knight," reads the solicit. "The Joker is dead, Bruce Wayne is behind bars, and Gotham is still only beginning to redefine itself in a world without Batman."
[...]

"In the wake of it all, Harley Quinn is officially off-duty, struggling to cope with the loss of her closest confidants as she improvises her lonely and hectic new life as a single mother to the late Jack Napier's twins," the text continues. "Against this unstable new 'normal,' the stage is set for Gotham's next criminal uprising. From the shadows, a visionary and elusive mastermind called the Producer is seizing this opportunity to assemble a colorful crew of villains and make his mark on the city."

[...]

"His first recruit is known as Starlet, a striking and resourceful serial killer who targets Gotham's Golden Age film stars and meticulously paints her victims black and white in chilling homage to their vintage blockbusters," continues the text. "The GTO has stepped in to investigate alongside eager young FBI agent and criminal profiler Hector Quimby-but when the latest gruesome crime scene reveals shocking clues that suggest an impossible link to the Joker, the team turns to Harley as the one person whose intimate knowledge of Gotham's underbelly could finally crack the case."

The GTO is the Gotham Terrorism Oppression unit - a spin-off of the Gotham City Police Department created by councilman Jack Napier - then an apparently-reformed Joker - as a replacement for Batman.

"In Batman White Knight Presents Harley Quinn, Harley will seek guidance from Bruce and take Agent Quimby under her wing as she balances work and motherhood and inches closer to Starlet-but things get personal and trust will crumble when all of the players in the Producer's twisted script come into full focus," the text wraps up. "To protect her children and Gotham from a fatal third act, Harley must once again flirt with madness and confront the weight of her own past with the Joker and Batman."

Batman: White Knight Presents Harley Quinn #1 is listed as a 48-page comic going for $5.99. It isn't specified if it is a one-shot or the beginning of a limited series or ongoing.

[Zaresh]

That spin off sounds like something I would pleasantly read. Yeah, this Murphyverse is growing on me with each new book.

This Titan's story sounds... I agree, kind of teenage-oriented. Writing isn't subtle, eh. But, ok, and fair I guess. Weren't these books a move for catching new readers in that demographic range, teenagers? As far as it's fun, because I'm guessing it's all it wants to be, it's an alright read (and it has been fun).

I'm looking forward to that Gotham Knights story. I love detective casebooks, and it seems to be sort of, kind of, a story withing that genre.

[Aahz]

TITANS: TITANS TOGETHER #1 is digitally available for $ 0.99.

Not a particularly good take on Jason imo.

[Sergard]

The atmosphere in Titans: Titans Together reminds me a little bit of the Scooby-Doo cartoon. Which is not a particularly bad thing. I liked Scooby-Doo as a kid.
The story is nothing big, but it is light (not counting the dead person) and fun - and fine for what it is.

Titans: Titans Together #2 will be out on July 2.

Master mercenary Deathstroke needs the TitansÂ’ help. His daughter, Ravager, was infiltrating the demonic Church of Blood when she succumbed to the hypnotic power of its leader, Brother Blood. Red Hood believes that the plea is real...but is Deathstroke telling them the whole story?

[Zaresh]

Not a particularly good take on Jason imo.

It's sort of child-like, but the whole issue is tinted with some child-esque dye, imho. Look at Starfire, being this one-note fierce warrior; or Dick being mister Gary MacGood. Eh, it's very cartoon-like, but it's what is mean to be, I think. Easy to read and follow, simple in plot and characterizations, lighthearted and fast-paced. I'm counting in Rose being a little mad and crazy, and Slade being this very bad, very manipulative villanious villain, but I may be wrong; will see.

[Sergard]

Karl Mostert

Unkillables Jason Todd concept art






Interview with Batman writer James Tynion IV and Batman group editor Ben Abernathy

[...]
While the main Joker War storyline will be chronicled in Batman #95-100, many of DC's other Batman-adjacent titles will be taking part in the crossover, most notably Detective Comics and Nightwing. DC will also be publishing an anthology special called Batman: Joker War Zone that spotlights other important players.

Abernathy explained, "While the Joker War core story is in Batman, there's a lot of important beats that will be taking place in the other titles... with Nightwing and Batgirl, and some big things happening in Detective Comics, Red Hood #48 in particular as well, so they are looking at Joker War from the different perspective of the different characters, and where they are this year, and how will the events of the last years have put them on different paths."

Readers may be wondering how Joker War connects to other major Batman projects in 2020, like the recently launched Dark Nights: Death Metal, the limited series Batman: Three Jokers, and the indefinitely delayed Batman/Catwoman series from Tom King and Clay Mann. The short answer is that each project is telling its own story."

Abernathy said, "The Joker War is a specific mainline Batman event. What Jason and Geoff are doing in Three Jokers is its own thing, what Tom and Clay are doing in Batman/Catwoman, their own thing, what Scott and Greg with Death Metal... I mean, it's amazing for readers to have such amazing content, but none of them connect to the Joker War puzzle at all, this is our story, this is the main Batman story, and as a fan, I'm looking forward to reading all the other titles for sure, and be sure to check out Death Metal, because that first issue was bonkers fun."

But while there may not be any direct connections between these different Batman epics, Abernathy noted the goal heading into 2021 is to foster a greater sense of inter-connectivity and focus among the various Batman titles.

"Me as a fan, but me also as the group editor, I like the inter-connectivity and cohesion between the line," he said. "Not saying that it's rigid in how everything operates or balances out, but I definitely want to send some connectivity in the line that it matters, that there is a common vision to what we're doing, and how that impacts the characters going forward."

Tynion teased readers will get a sense of what the future holds for the franchise when Joker War wraps up in Batman #100.

"Issue #100 is a huge climactic issue that sets the stage for everything that follows. It is a big, exciting comic book. And there's going to be a lot more about it as we move forward. I'm also very excited for everyone to see the cover for it, because when it first showed up in my inbox, I lost my mind."

Joker War will begin in Batman #95, which will release on Tuesday, July 21.

And a little off-topic but for people who enjoy Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok working together: There'll be more.

On Twitter:

Question: "Man, you and Johns are tight. Are there any other writers you'd like to work with, like KSD or Snyder for example?"

Jason Fabok: "Maybe. But Geoff "gets" me. He's so open to every idea, however lame or crazy they are. And we have big plans for our future that has already started. If I could work with him from now until the end of my career, I would"

Two hours later:

Question: "so pumped for 3 Jokers! Any other projects in the works?"

Jason Fabok: "2 more plus a few rough ideas. We've been using this shutdown wisely and preparing for the future."

[Zaresh]

You know, I don't know why, but I feel like they're giving Jason a lot of screen time these days. It feels... weird; not good, not bad either, but weird. I was betting on the tie-in being plain incidental, but maybe it's not and the whole thing sets the future of his story in the current DCU. With him having some future book or something.

I'm not complaining, but it feels weird.

[Swallowtail]

You know, I don't know why, but I feel like they're giving Jason a lot of screen time these days. It feels... weird; not good, not bad either, but weird. I was betting on the tie-in being plain incidental, but maybe it's not and the whole thing sets the future of his story in the current DCU. With him having some future book or something.

I'm not complaining, but it feels weird.

Not weird. He is super popular and has enjoyed a significant expansion into other media in the past 18 months, raising his profile further. Under the Red hood must be the most retold bat story of the 21st century at this stage.

[Sergard]

Next weeks issue of Gotham Nights is going to have to Red Hood Stories.

https://www.dccomics.com/comics/batm...tham-nights-11

Story 1 - A face from Red Hood's past needs his help when he's targeted by Codename: Assassin--he just doesn't know it yet! Story 2 - The clock counts down as a prisoner on death row awaits his sentence...but Nightwing and Red Hood believe there's more to his case than meets the eye, and now they have one night to prove it!

“Reunion” by Steve Orlando, Priscilla Petraites, Romulo Fajardo Jr. and Ryan Christy
“One Minute After Midnight” by Marc Guggenheim, Robert Gill, Luis Guerrero and Marshall Dillon


Digital release date: June 30 2020




Preview: source

[Sergard]

[Zaresh]

Not weird. He is super popular and has enjoyed a significant expansion into other media in the past 18 months, raising his profile further. Under the Red hood must be the most retold bat story of the 21st century at this stage.

Has he gained that much support? I wasn't aware. Those are some good news. I was dreading that he would loss his spot light time once AK impact faded. And the UtRH movie was 10 years ago, so... (even if that story has been retold more recently than even AK, it still was the first one to give some lasting impact after the original story).

Hmmm, so he's definitely filling that sweet spot two of my other faves are in. Cool.

------

Very promising preview, @Serg. I'm definitely looking forward to this one.

[RedBird]

There's a new Hush figure coming out (by MAFEX).

Yes Please

Not a particularly good take on Jason imo.

Really? I thought it was fine. I mean the whole book is pretty light hearted and simple overall, and the characters seem to follow suit.

Though, in Jasons case, it does feel like the concept for the book comes from some bizarre universe, where there was a slight shift in the canon and Jason actually was more of an official Titan (for a lot longer than he was originally) and as such, didn't quite alienate himself to most of the Titans as Red Hood, (considering how familiar and easy going he seems with them and visa versa).

It's.....Interesting, I guess. Like getting a weird sort of glimpse into 'what could have been'.



Also that Gotham Nights preview looks pretty good, looking forward to it.

[Rise]

Has he gained that much support? I wasn't aware. Those are some good news. I was dreading that he would loss his spot light time once AK impact faded. And the UtRH movie was 10 years ago, so... (even if that story has been retold more recently than even AK, it still was the first one to give some lasting impact after the original story).

Hmmm, so he's definitely filling that sweet spot two of my other faves are in. Cool.

------

Very promising preview, @Serg. I'm definitely looking forward to this one.

I mean, mentioning his name alone makes fans cheer in cons, his funko pop figure was sold out few minutes after it was released, Boon (creator of Injustice) said that he never saw any DC character get such a huge reaction like Red Hood did and Murphy said last year that working on WK made him discover 3 facts about Batman and one of them was that people seriously love Red Hood. He has been very popular for years now and DC reaction actually has been pretty slow and lacking.

It's why I think it's weird you keep insisting that he is a niche character because he is far from it.

[Restingvoice]

I mean, mentioning his name alone makes fans cheer in cons, his funko pop figure was sold out few minutes after it was released, Boon (creator of Injustice) said that he never saw any DC character get such a huge reaction like Red Hood did and Murphy said last year that working on WK made him discover 3 facts about Batman and one of them was that people seriously love Red Hood. He has been very popular for years now and DC reaction actually has been pretty slow and lacking.

It's why I think it's weird you keep insisting that he is a niche character because he is far from it.

He's a niche among comic buyers I guess since not that many buy his book, but very popular overall...

[Swallowtail]

He's a niche among comic buyers I guess since not that many buy his book, but very popular overall...

I mean, I know it’s not a popular opinion around this neck of the woods, but that book is very tired and has spent the last year being about a mystical interdimensiobal demon fighting warrior, which is not what most people are searching for If they pick up any Batbook sight unseen.