Thoughts on Solicits

ANIMAL MAN #5 Written by JEFF LEMIRE Art by TRAVEL FOREMAN and JEFF HUET Cover by TRAVEL FOREMAN On sale JANUARY 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+ With Ellen and Cliff’s lives hanging in the balance, Buddy finally faces off against The Hunters Three! But the fight doesn’t go as planned, causing the Baker family to go on the run. What dark new threat is chasing them – and why? Find out as the first arc of DC’s surprise breakout hit comes to a startling conclusion!

Thoughts: I think this is the freakiest cover of the bunch. Yes even more than the random animal parts trying to grab them on the second cover. Maxine can be very unnerving. Hmm, maybe her and Damian would be good pals.

STATIC SHOCK #5 Written by SCOTT MCDANIEL Art by SCOTT MCDANIEL and ANDY OWENS Cover by KHARY RANDOLPH On sale JANUARY 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T Sending Static to a watery grave has earned Joey Piranha and his freakish Bang Baby Army the coveted security role in the secretive Crime Alliance. Shocking connections begin to be revealed between the mysterious Hawkins family tragedy and this brutal criminal enterprise. And how might the unpredictable agenda of the Pale Man and the true price of Dr. Nemo’s Q-Juice send this criminal storm spinning wildly out of control?

Thoughts: I just can't find myself interested by the solicits for Static Shock although this one caught my attention because of the new art on the cover. Still unsure if this will be a keeper with the confusing story elements.

JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #5 Written by DAN JURGENS Art by AARON LOPRESTI and MATT RYAN Cover by DAVID FINCH and RICHARD FRIEND On sale JANUARY 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T The JLI has one last chance to stop the alien powerhouse known as Peraxxus before he and his SignalMen bring about the end of the world. Will the team be able to work together, or will they bear the responsibility for Earth’s destruction?

Thoughts: Does the bad guy remind anyone else of Black Hand on this cover? For some reason Godiva is gone and the mystery woman is back. Interesting.

DEMON KNIGHTS #5 Written by PAUL CORNELL Art by DIOGENES NEVES and OCLAIR ALBERT Cover by MIKE CHOI On sale JANUARY 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T The pressure is mounting as the Horde prepares to breach the walls of Little Spring – but inside the town, our heroes are at each other’s throats! With their fragile alliance in tatters, and the enemy whispering in their ears, someone’s going to break – but for a reason you never saw coming!

Thoughts: Well I guess I knew the bonding from the first two issues was too good to last. Still sounds good and it looks like Al will get more focus which I'm looking forward to.

SUPERBOY #5 Written by SCOTT LOBDELL Art by R.B. SILVA and ROB LEAN Cover by SHANE DAVIS and JONATHAN GLAPION On sale JANUARY 11 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T They created Superboy to be a weapon, not a hero. But on the eve of his conflict with the Teen Titans, Superboy will make the first truly moral choice of his short life – though he might not be prepared to live with the consequences!

Thoughts: Not overly fond of the cover art. It's not bad but what is with Red gasping in horror as Superboy holds her with her foot in the air? It looks so awkward.

RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #5
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT
On sale JANUARY 18 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
With Jason going one-on-one with the ancient evil known as the Untitled and Koriand’r barely able to crawl to his side, it’s up to Roy to stand alone against the monstrous threat known as Crux!

Thoughts: I'm past caring what Kory wears (she's an alien who has gone naked before) but what is that at Roys' knee? Her blood? Her hair cut off? I looks like her hair but it's a different red. I adore Roys' expression in this because it's obvious he cares deeply for her. 

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #5 Written by PETER MILLIGAN Art by MIKEL JANIN Cover by RYAN SOOK On sale JANUARY 25 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T Enchantress is out of control and more powerful than ever. She has brought a nation to its knees through her arcane powers. Will Madame Xanadu, John Constantine, Shade the Changing Man, Zatanna, Mindwarp, Deadman and June Moon be able to work together to defeat her? One thing is certain: One of these heroes will not make it out alive!

Thoughts: *Sighs* Do we really need characters dying this early? Plus I'm pretty sure Deadman is, you know, already dead. He can't get much deader.

TEEN TITANS #5
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art and cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
1:25 Variant cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
On sale JANUARY 25 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. The variant cover will feature the standard edition cover in a wraparound format.
In their first battle as a team, The Teen Titans square off against N.O.W.H.E.R.E.’s most powerful weapon... The Superboy! But can the cunning of Red Robin, the speed of Kid Flash and the psionic might of Bunker stop a threat that has already taken out the powerhouse known as Wonder Girl? The fight rages from a battle cruiser docked in the Hudson River to the Central Park Zoo, but as a world stands up and takes notice, there is a very real possibility the Teen Titans might not survive their high profile debut!

Thoughts: Behold Bart in Tims' Robin costume! That's worth it alone. BTW did you guys spoiler the previous issue? Because that was something I was looking forward to reading.