Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Batman #4 Preview

 

 

Tim Drake barely survived a battle with an abusive cop. Bruce's son, Damian, may be heading off to university. Wayne Enterprises awarded a grant to help Dr Zeller ease her patients' suffering. Yet as he fights to prevent his board from building weapons for the military, Bruce wonders if Wayne Enterprises is helping Dr Zeller torture troubled souls. Can Batman discover the truth behind a device he is partly responsible for? Or will the Gotham City Police Department's War on Batman force him to seek the safety of the Batcave?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Batman #4

Writer: Matt Fraction

Artist: Jorge Jiménez

Cover Artists: Jorge Jiménez, Jim Lee, Julian Totino Tedesco, Felipe Massafera & David Aja

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 40 Pages

Price: $4.99/$5.99 Card Stock/$7.99

Release Date: December 3, 2025

 

Organized Crime in Gotham City has become really, really organized!

 

As Bruce Wayne investigates the Crown of Storms, Batman pursues Anarky and discovers a criminal conspiracy hiding in plain sight that will change the game for crime and criminals in Gotham City…and the world!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 


 

 


 


 Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

Cruel Universe 2 #5 Review

 


Writer: Ryan Haddock, Andrew Wheeler, & Corinna Bechko

Artist: Kano, Andrea Mutti & Tyler Jenkins

Colorist: Michael Atiyeh

Letterer: Richard Starkings & Tyler Smith

Cover Artists: Lee Bermejo, Liam Sharp, Albert Monteys & Malachi Ward

Publisher: Oni Press

Price: $4.99

Release Date: December 3, 2025

 

Life may not be easy on planet Earth. But living on the planet's biosphere is far easier than surviving in the cold, dark void. Space offers Humans nothing they need to survive. People take what they need with them and hope that's enough. What happens when it isn't? And even on Earth, how do you respond when others prey on you? Let’s leap into Cruel Universe 2 #5 and see!

 

Hope Endures: Story

James Bond loved his Beretta and didn't want to part with it, even when it let him down. In Hope Endures, Ryan Haddock introduces Captain Cole Queller, a pilot who forms a bond with his fighter. Like Bond, Cole stuck by the ship, even when newer models became available. But when he's stuck on an alien planet, he's glad he stuck by her. Like Cole, "Hope" feels the same and cherishes their time together.

 

Hope Endures: Art

Kano shows Cole sitting on a sandstone boulder near his shattered ship in Cruel Universe 2 #5. Surrounding him are the toothlike spikes symbolizing the mineral wealth beneath a surface incapable of supporting life. The events that forged Cole’s friendship with his ship play through Cole’s mind in black and white. A limited palette of light colors adorns the lone figure in a spacesuit, as seen from an empty cockpit. Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith place black uppercase text in white dialogue balloons. The ship's thoughts appear as white uppercase letters in black narrative boxes.

 

Byproduct: Story

Andrew Wheeler introduces us to Marcus Keane. He’s a man who gets what he wants. Anyone who fails to provide that is superfluous to requirements. When his doctor tells him that all the money in the world won't solve his problems, Marcus opts for a radical cure. Byproduct puts overachievers who treat people like appliances under the microscope, while reminding us how tempting it is to hang onto the things that harm us.

 

Byproduct: Art

Tattoos entwine like double helices along Marcus' neck. His doctor's hair and glasses evoke an absent-minded scientist. Andrea Mutti introduces Marcus to Vida Cash. Vida wears similar clothes, shows him graphic displays, and guides Marcus through their facility. Michael Atiyeh adorns Byproduct with a vibrant palette. Yet the doctor and his patient become silhouettes against a stormy sky when Dr Ash delivers his prognosis in Cruel Universe 2 #5. The red, yellow, and green double helix display suggests more years to enjoy the tropical paradise in which Marcus lives. Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith deliver black, uppercase lettering in white balloons, and off-panel conversation in colored narrative boxes.

 

Some Time to Reflect: Story

Do you ever wish that you had more resources and time? What if you could split yourself in two? Or, like Lord Voldemort, hide away other copies of yourself and have them help you with your work? Corinna Bechko introduces us to a scientist who finds a way to maximize her productivity. As in David Brin's novel Kiln People, a woman uses versions of herself to pursue necessary tasks that she can capitalize on. But in Cruel Universe 2 #5, her golems are flesh and blue, and don't carry an expiration date. Even more than Byproduct, Some Time to Reflect seems a metaphor for ignoring those around us in search of productivity and achievement.

 

Some Time to Reflect: Art

Tyler Jenkins shows a woman sitting outside her mountain cabin. Inside, she finally notices another version of herself in a mirror. As in Phantasm, the window opens a portal to her other self. Tyler’s scenes showcase pink and green. Along the way, red seeps in and splatters. Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith open with uppercase words in dialogue balloons and sound effects that introduce the woman and the instigating event. But the colored narrative boxes relay the actor behind the scenes, manipulating events for her own benefit. Thanks to Oni Press and Superfan Promotions for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

As people explore space, visit pocket universes, and delve into the potential of the genome, some reveal their inhumanity, while a machine makes a very Human choice in Cruel Universe 2 #5.

 

Rating 8.8/10

 

For more see my cover preview of Cruel Universe 2 #5


Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Adventures of Superman: Book of El #4 Preview

 

 

After Kryl-Ux transported Clark Kent to the future, he found Brainiac ruling the Earth. Brainiac maintains power by keeping Earth's populace in fear. People look the other way when Brainiac harvests their neighbors for scientific experiments. Clark may want to return to his home-era. He may want to search for his time-displaced children. But he won't let anyone treat the people of Earth like laboratory mice!

We've learned what Lois and Jimmy Olsen got up to after Clark disappeared. What further revelations about Clark's family and friends does the future hold? And how will Clark respond to Kryl-Ux's demands?

Here's all the info from DC Connect: 


Adventures of Superman: Book of El #4

Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson

Artist: Scott Godlewski

Cover Artists: Scott Godlewski, Rahzzah, Lucio Parrillo & Sarah Baslaim

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99/$4.99 Card Stock

Release Date: December 3, 2025

 

The Battle of Brainiac rages on!

 

Ronan Kent has made his last stand to push back the deadly Brainiac invasion threatening all life as we know it…but the truth behind this attack is far darker than even the Man of Steel could possibly predict! The lawless Dark Age of the far future will chill the House of El to the bone in this epic next installment of Book of El! 


Now, let's take a look inside:

 


 

 


 


 Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

Birds Of Prey #28 Preview

 

 

The Birds were supposed to capture a treasure chest in the final round. Instead, they end up fighting for their lives as the Shadow Army turns the game into a street fight. Is the strange gas filling the air the culprit? Or was Barda in a bikini was always destined to start a riot?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Birds Of Prey #28

Writer: Kelly Thompson

Artist: Sami Basri

Cover Artists: Annie Wu, Daniele Di Nicuolo, Serg Acuña & Rian Gonzales

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99/$4.99 Card Stock

Release Date: December 3, 2025

 

One last mission. One final fight. No do-overs. No second chances. And the fate of the Birds of Prey hangs in the balance.

 

The Unreality is collapsing and threatening all of Gotham as it spills out into the real world in dangerous and unexpected ways. As the Birds of Prey struggle to survive inside the game, the final showdown will test everything the team has built. Can the Birds get to the heart of what the Shadow Army’s real goal has been all along before it’s too late for them…and for Gotham?

 

Don’t miss the final issue!

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 


 


 


 Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

Stray Preview

 


Hachiya Ken was fifteen when his parents abandoned him. The yakuza took him in, and he developed a barefist style of fighting. But all that changed nine years ago when the authorities sent him to prison. When he leaves, the Botaiho law prevents his former yakuza brothers from seeking him out. 

A girl meets him outside the prison. Like him, her mother abandoned her when she was three. Hachiya Ken may be the man charged with beating her father to death. Still, she's desperate to find her mom, and believes he can help her. But people are searching for little Aoi Hana, forcing "Bare Knuckle Fighter Ken" to violate his parole. If only Musashi Correctional Facility had let him run during his stay!

Can Hachiya Ken and Aoi Hana avoid their pursuers? And can Hachiya Ken reunite Aoi Hana with her mother?

Here's all the info from Titan Manga:

 


STRAY

Format: Manga

Author: Ryu Kamio

Artist: Yu Nakahara

Publisher: Titan Manga

SC, 224pp, B&W, $12.99

ISBN: 9781787748019

On sale: December 2, 2025

 

"Top 10 Must-Read Manga" Publishers Weekly, Fall 2025

 

From the creators of Last Inning, follow an ex-convict’s path to redemption riddled with vengeance, betrayal, and deadly conspiracies – the stakes are too high for him to strikeout off the pitch.

 

After serving nine years for a crime he didn’t commit, Hachiya Ken is free—but his past is far from behind him. Released from prison, he’s confronted by Hana, the fiery daughter of a ghost from his past. Together, they’re forced to navigate a deadly web of betrayal, yakuza power, and political corruption.

 

As they uncover a conspiracy that runs deeper than either could have imagined, Ken must confront his own demons—and decide how far he’s willing to go for redemption.

 

From the dynamic creative duo of Yu Nakahara and Ryu Kamio, who delivered the brilliant baseball manga Last Inning, Stray is a relentless crime thriller where nothing is what it seems. Can Ken survive long enough to expose the truth, or will his next swing be his last, as he strikes out in this game of power.

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 


 

 


 


 






 

Order now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, and Forbidden Planet for the UK & Europe. 

 

 

Thanks to Titan Manga for sharing this preview with us. 

 

 


Batgirl #14 Preview

 


Batgirl sought healing in Samsara. But she keeps pushing away her half-brother, and struggles to connect with her Chi in her Himalayan hideaway. Now, surrounded by enemies, Batgirl's discomfort with who she is could cost her dearly. Can she still discern friend from foe?

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

Batgirl #14

Writer: Tate Brombal

Artist: Stephen Segovia

Cover Artists: Reiko Murakami & Tirso

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99/$4.99 Card Stock

Release Date: December 3, 2025

 

Mission: Impossible…?

 

The mission is simple: destroy the Unburied’s powerful advantage in this war and get out alive. 

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 


 

 

 


 


 Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

Spider-Girl #6 Review


 


Writer: Torunn Grønbekk

Artists: Diógenes Neves

Colorist: Java Tartaglia

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Designer: Stacie Zucker

Editors: Kaitlyn Lindtvedt, Nick Lowe & CB Cebulski

Cover Artists: David Nakayama; Benjamin Su; Romy Jones

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 12, 2025

 

Makawalu Akana was living the high life. She fought alongside Spider-Man as the new City-Savers. (It's a working title.) While trying to deactivate the military drone the US military entrusted to Rand Enterprises, Maka prevented a spiky-haired weirdo from stealing Hijack’s memories. But when Maka peered into Hijack's mind and drew on his power, the Hawaiian girl couldn’t control it. Instead, Maka put New York through The Day The Earth Stood Still.

 

Everything is different now. Or at least, it could be. Rogue even invited her to join the X-Men. But Maka still isn't sure she has shaken off what Paper Doll did to her. And Maka’s behavior frightens her mother. So, Hali’a is taking Maka home. Farewell, New York. At least for now. How will Maka adjust to life in Hawaii? And will Dr Tramma follow her to Mānoa? Let’s thwick into Spider-Girl #6 and see, Brah!

 

Story

Despite her reservations, Maka enjoys her return to Oahu. After being cooped up in the room above the flower shop and listening to her aunt argue with her mom, Maka can chill with her dad. Noa encourages her to relax and immerse herself in nature. But since she gazed into Bailey Briggs' eyes, Maka senses the world around her more intensely.

 

In Spider-Girl #6, Maka’s enhanced senses help her realize that her father is in trouble. It's nothing that Noa acknowledges. But Maka hears neighbors gossiping. They wonder if Noa and Hali’a are having marital trouble. Maka also learns that he has trouble at work. Her friend, Ānela, shares what she has heard, prompting Maka to investigate her dad’s difficulties.

 

While she has returned home, Maka tells her friends that it’s not forever. She believes her future lies in New York. But Torunn Grønbekk’s story finds Maka in transition. The Hawaiian girl has lost her mother’s trust. Maka has disappointed her instructor at the best dojo in New York. And she is still new at being a hero.

 

As Maka investigates her father’s work problems, she struggles to decide who best to emulate. When they fought together to take down the flying tank, Spider-Girl looked to Spider-Man for inspiration. But cut off from everyone associated with her new hero life, Maka wavers between role models in Spider-Girl #6.

 


 

 

Art

As Maka snuggles against her father on the grassy rolling plains, Diógenes Neves reveals her affection when she gazes up at him. When they rise, her features burst with excitement as Noa picks up his briefcase. Men wave to Maka and her father as they cross the street. Maka sticks out her tongue at two women gossiping in a hammock. While a rainbow arcs above their home, her mother regards Maka with concern as they step onto the lanai. Ānela shows her happiness at reuniting with her friend. As Maka embraces her grandmother, the wooden hair sticks in her granny’s grey hair suggest a cultural link with Beba back in New York.

 

This haven of the natural world contrasts with ZZ Top's Concrete And Steel world of New York City. As Maka wears red and blue shirts, Java Tartaglia shows the women in her life wear purple and pink, evoking the bedspread in their room above Lokelani's flower shop. While his boss and his assistant wear black suits, Maka's father favors shirts with colorful flower prints. Maka may not have wanted to leave New York behind. But amid the verdant greenery, it's not long before a red-and-black figure slips through the trees in Spider-Girl #6.

 

Joe Caramagna shares Maka’s thoughts with red uppercase letters in white narrative boxes. The black, uppercase dialogue grows bold for intonation, swells for raised voices, and shrinks for lowered or distant voices. Words in white-and-yellow boxes portend danger, while animal noises, gunfire, and thwicking accompany the mysteries of Death in Paradise. Thanks to Marvel Comics for providing a review copy.

 


 

 

Final Thoughts

Maka's friend Beba loves nature and praises those who protect it. But when her father's colleague disappears, Maka suspects that his employer creates more than eco-friendly, self-sustaining fishponds in Spider-Girl #6.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To look inside see my review at Comic Book Dispatch

Monday, December 1, 2025

DC K.O. Knightfight #2 Preview

 


Batman argued that each hero needed to fight like they had never fought before. Only their best would do to become King Omega! But as Batman tells Clark in Superman: The Kryptonite Spectrum, every statement has an asterisk. After Batman dies at the Earth's core, he is resurrected in Gotham. But it isn't the city he knows. How will Batman fare against a new Batman that rules his city through an army of Robins? If only Batman hadn't trained his replacement so well!

Here's all the info from DC Connect:

 

DC K.O. Knightfight #2

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Artist: Dan Mora

Cover Artists: Dan Mora, Guillem March, Jorge Molina & Fabrizio De Tommaso

Publisher: DC Comics

Issue Length: 32 Pages

Price: $3.99/$4.99 Card Stock

Release Date: December 3, 2025

 

Batman vs Batman for the soul of Gotham City!

 

The stage is set, and Bruce Wayne’s battle through a gauntlet of future Batmen is on! Each former Robin has shaped Gotham City into their own vision of justice, and if Bruce can make his way past Dick Grayson, he’ll face the darkest one yet. Will he survive the most violent aspects of his own legacy? Or will Batman’s greatest failure destroy him and the city he’s sworn to protect?

 

It's a literal battle for the cowl—and the fate of the DC Universe—as the all-star creative team of Joshua Williamson and Dan Mora turns up the heat!

 

 

Now, let's take a look inside:

 

 


 


 

 Thanks to DC Comics for sharing this preview with us.

 

To come up to speed, see my review of DC K.O. Knightfight #1.