Batgirls

[ohfellow]

Actually, Annuals don't usually have variants. They are odd beasts, not usually put in people's comic book subscription boxes without being explicitly asked for at the shop, which I think is a huge mistake.

I agree it's a mistake - once in a while, the annual is even integral to the online plot.

Annuals actually have had variants the past two years.

It is true that during the Rebirth era, annuals virtually never came with variants.

DC has leaned very, very, very heavily into variants and ratio variants during the last year or two - more and more every month.

I was surprised when annuals also started coming with variants during 2021. That year, there was no annual that did NOT get a variant. This was the 2021 list that all came with variants:

Action 2021 Annual #1
Batman 2021 Annual #1
Catwoman 2021 Annual #1
Detective 2021 Annual #1
Flash 2021 Annual #1
Batman/Superman 2021 Annual #1
Green Lantern 2021 Annual #1
Harley Quinn 2021 Annual #1
Joker 2021 Annual #1
Justice League Dark 2021 Annual #1
Midnighter 2021 Annual #1
Nightwing 2021 Annual #1
Robin 2021 Annual #1
Suicide Squad 2021 Annual #1
Superman Son of Kal-El 2021 Annual #1
Wonder Woman 2021 Annual #1

There have been fewer annuals in 2022, but most still with variants. Here are the ones with variants:

Action 2022 Annual #1
Batman 2022 Annual #1
Harley Quinn 2022 Annual #1
Justice League 2022 Annual #1
Nightwing 2022 Annual #1
Wonder Girl 2022 Annual #1

There were just 3 annuals in 2022 that did not get variants:

Detective 2022 Annual #1
Flash 2022 Annual #1
Batgirls 2022 Annual #1

[ohfellow]

(Not only were there many fewer annuals in 2022, but one of them, Justice League, was delayed, and was retitled from Justice League 2021 Annual #1.)

[Godlike13]

Actually, Annuals don't usually have variants. They are odd beasts, not usually put in people's comic book subscription boxes without being explicitly asked for at the shop, which I think is a huge mistake.

It does look like Case is just on for two issues. I'm very curious how his stuff looks!

They are more expensive, and the system for orders is rather specific.

[thefinalguy]

Has the writing on this get any better? I tried the first few issues, but it just didn't feel like I was reading Cass and Steph.

[Frontier]

Sorry for the long post, but to the topic on hand I actually LIKE the art honestly and really think Cain should have been here and not Shiva.

I actually wonder about Cain's status now that "everything happened." Like is B&R Eternal and all that still all canon for Cass? Killing Harper's mom?

[millernumber1]

I agree it's a mistake - once in a while, the annual is even integral to the online plot.

Annuals actually have had variants the past two years.

It is true that during the Rebirth era, annuals virtually never came with variants.

DC has leaned very, very, very heavily into variants and ratio variants during the last year or two - more and more every month.

I was surprised when annuals also started coming with variants during 2021. That year, there was no annual that did NOT get a variant. This was the 2021 list that all came with variants:

Action 2021 Annual #1
Batman 2021 Annual #1
Catwoman 2021 Annual #1
Detective 2021 Annual #1
Flash 2021 Annual #1
Batman/Superman 2021 Annual #1
Green Lantern 2021 Annual #1
Harley Quinn 2021 Annual #1
Joker 2021 Annual #1
Justice League Dark 2021 Annual #1
Midnighter 2021 Annual #1
Nightwing 2021 Annual #1
Robin 2021 Annual #1
Suicide Squad 2021 Annual #1
Superman Son of Kal-El 2021 Annual #1
Wonder Woman 2021 Annual #1

There have been fewer annuals in 2022, but most still with variants. Here are the ones with variants:

Action 2022 Annual #1
Batman 2022 Annual #1
Harley Quinn 2022 Annual #1
Justice League 2022 Annual #1
Nightwing 2022 Annual #1
Wonder Girl 2022 Annual #1

There were just 3 annuals in 2022 that did not get variants:

Detective 2022 Annual #1
Flash 2022 Annual #1
Batgirls 2022 Annual #1

Very interesting notes! I'm not subbed to any series right now that have had annuals with variants (Flash and Batgirls), so I guess I just didn't notice! And I didn't know that Joker got an annual variant last year. Huh!

Has the writing on this get any better? I tried the first few issues, but it just didn't feel like I was reading Cass and Steph.

I have been a fan since the first issue, but I do think some specific things, like decreasing the commentary in the text boxes, and better plotting and referencing of Steph and Cass's histories, have been added with the most recent arc (#9-12).

[ohfellow]

I have been a fan since the first issue, but I do think some specific things, like decreasing the commentary in the text boxes, and better plotting and referencing of Steph and Cass's histories, have been added with the most recent arc (#9-12).

The preview of the Annual shows them back to that annoying commentary. They welcome us to the Annual, and talk about "panels." And about sweaty summers - they are obsessed with Gotham summer weather. And give us the abbreviation of a fictitious museum. That's just in the few pages of preview.

Why does editorial allow it? Well, Jess Chen was enjoying talking back to them in HER narration boxes, I guess. These three think this stuff is funny, for some reason. I've never heard of a single reader who actually LIKES it, though. It seems people at best tolerate it. Maybe the letterer, Becca Carey, chuckles while typing it up. (More likely, she groans at the text and collects her paycheck.)

[ComicNoobie]

Though I guess it would be too late now, it would have been cool to see a Thanksgiving issue of Batgirls for the holidays. They could have had dinner together then work it off by beating up criminals and thugs. I think that could have been a fun issue before starting a new arc.

[millernumber1]

The preview of the Annual shows them back to that annoying commentary. They welcome us to the Annual, and talk about "panels." And about sweaty summers - they are obsessed with Gotham summer weather. And give us the abbreviation of a fictitious museum. That's just in the few pages of preview.

Why does editorial allow it? Well, Jess Chen was enjoying talking back to them in HER narration boxes, I guess. These three think this stuff is funny, for some reason. I've never heard of a single reader who actually LIKES it, though. It seems people at best tolerate it. Maybe the letterer, Becca Carey, chuckles while typing it up. (More likely, she groans at the text and collects her paycheck.)

I think the narration is often too much, but I do like it sometimes. Just want a better balance of it.

[WebLurker]

Speaking as a TimSteph shipper, I'm very happy to see Steph and Kyle explore a potential romance together. I love both of them, and it'd be nice for Steph to be the more famous character in a relationship for once!

I think they're handling it as gracefully as they can, especially when Tim and Bernard is...Tim and Bernard.

Okay.

I really, really miss Jorge Corona. I'm glad he's still on covers! Really looking forward to getting February's cover with an Angry Steph by him on it!

That is a good one. (Is it supposed to be Steph herself or Cass in Steph's body, though?)

Oh yeah.... Like the constant acting of Tim and Bernard as better than Tim and Stephanie is annoying and hard to buy given how we barely see it and how much Tim loved Steph to the point it survived a timelime change. Like 6 months and Tim is already saying it's better than being with Stephanie even when he isn't sure if he and Bernard are "boyfriends"? Not to mention the only excuse for why Tim seems over Steph is due to being bi and it is implied Bernard s helps him fullfill that which the "settling" comment implying Stephanie couldn't which is problematic as it implies he could only truly be bi with a dude and wanted a dude this whole time especially as he claimed Stephanie was everything he always wanted and more so being bi shouldn't negate that for the first guy who shows somewhat of an interest (again given how in UL he seems to instantly fall for Bernard with little buildup which again gives of the impression it is due to him being a dude) which makes him come across as gay as it implies despite this Stephanie couldn't fulfill him being bi.

Have to concede that I have found Kyle a little bland so far, but I can see that keeping it low key (cute guy who catches Steph's eye and them hitting it off just fine) would play better than going all the way to 11 at the start. Love at first sight can work if done well, but i think you do have a steeper job to make it work.

All that said, would be interesting to see more from Steph's POV how she's taking the break up and how she's looking back on it. If nothing else, given that Tim and Bernard seem to be still in the honeymoon period of their dating, it might be the only way to get any idea of how things fell apart between her and Tim, much less how they went from being tight and seemingly stable to Tim being of the opinion that there was something fundamentally wrong with things between them (e.g. the "settling"). (Granted, the story isn't really about Tim, so I not expecting a whole dissertation on why they broke up, nor am I sure that this is the place for it, but even a few comments on the subject would at least be something beyond just being told that they didn't work out and that Tim is finding Bernard to be a better relationship.)

Sorry for the long post, but to the topic on hand I actually LIKE the art honestly and really think Cain should have been here and not Shiva.

Thought David Cain was dead in this universe. Also, Cass and Shiva have had a more complicated relationship, so I could see that lending itself to more story opportunities.

[millernumber1]

That is a good one. (Is it supposed to be Steph herself or Cass in Steph's body, though?)

Have to concede that I have found Kyle a little bland so far, but I can see that keeping it low key (cute guy who catches Steph's eye and them hitting it off just fine) would play better than going all the way to 11 at the start. Love at first sight can work if done well, but i think you do have a steeper job to make it work.

Thought David Cain was dead in this universe. Also, Cass and Shiva have had a more complicated relationship, so I could see that lending itself to more story opportunities.

It's supposed to be Steph at that point.

Kyle is best experienced by reading the original trades of Gotham Academy (first and second semester). He's such a good character.

Characters being dead and alive in comics is no barrier! See also: they are killing off and bringing back Cluemaster once again in this arc!

[Felipe Silveira]

Hasn't Rosenberg shown in Task Force Z how Steph is handling Tim's relationship?

[millernumber1]

Hasn't Rosenberg shown in Task Force Z how Steph is handling Tim's relationship?

Not really. Steph just showed up to talk to Jason twice, and I don't think really mentioned her feelings about Tim.

[WebLurker]

It's supposed to be Steph at that point.

That's quick; was kinda hoping the story would have more issues to unfold over.

Kyle is best experienced by reading the original trades of Gotham Academy (first and second semester). He's such a good character.

Okay.

Characters being dead and alive in comics is no barrier! See also: they are killing off and bringing back Cluemaster once again in this arc!

Fair.

[Captain Nostalgia]

Has the writing on this get any better? I tried the first few issues, but it just didn't feel like I was reading Cass and Steph.

No, save your money, by Batman and Detective Comics instead.