With major developments going on around DC Comics with the current situation over at Warner Bros-Discovery this coming July is going to be a big moth for them. You see that with how in DC Comics July 2022 solicitations shows how Dark Crisis will be impacting the future of the company. From some series ending to others beginning Dark Crisis looks to be the event promised. Along with that there are several creative runs that look to begin that could have unexpected impacts on where DC Comics goes in the future. With so much in the air let’s take a look at what DC Comics has planned for July 2022.
NIGHTWING VS DEATHSTROKE HEADLINES DARK CRISIS
One of the stories that I have longed hoped a creative team at DC Comics would tackle is Nightwing vs Deathstroke. The rivalry between Dick Grayson and Slade Wilson goes back to the New Teen Titans days. But what really took their rivalry to a new level was Infinite Crisis. During that event Deathstroke helped destroy Bludhaven and Nightwing caused Rose Wilson lose faith in her father after revealing how Slade manipulated her. While both promised to get back at each other for what they’ve done the closest we got was Dick Grayson, as Batman knocking out Deathstroke after he used Damian Wayne like a puppet in Batman & Robin #12. Even then it once again was just a reminder of the promised fight between Nightwing and Deathstroke that loomed over both.
Now with the Death of the Justice League the stage appears to be set for Nightwing and Deathstroke to have their promised fight decades in the making. More than just built on the history of two long terms rivals it does appear that this fight will set the stage for whatever will happen once the Great Darkness appears on Earth. Based on the textless previews it looks like Nightwing will be joined by Jon Kent’s Superman when Cyborg Superman tries to help Deathstroke. Seeing as Joshua Williamson and Daniel Sampere are not afraid to spoil this major fight of Nightwing and Superman vs Deathstroke and Cyborg Superman you got to wonder what else the creative team have planned for Dark Crisis #2.
That is all in addition to the four tie-ins to Dark Crisis we will be getting. I’ll get to the Aquaman tie-in a little later. The other three tie-ins, World Without A Justice League: Superman, Young Justice, and Flash, is that they all in some way take place in the DC Multiverse. Which does fit how Crisis events normally involve the Multiverse. Given that fact it is odd that DC isn’t using this as an opportunity to tell more stories not tied to continuity through the Multiverse thanks to this Dark Crisis event. The only other Multiverse stories we are getting are Batman related that have no ties to Dark Crisis.
CHIP ZDARSKY, JORGE JIMENEZ & BELEN ORTEGA RUN ON BATMAN BEGINS
As soon as it was announced Chip Zdarsky’s upcoming run on Batman instantly shot up to one of the most anticipated comics I’m looking forward to. Joshua Williamson has done a great job picking up where James Tynion left off with his run last year. That said, Zdarsky is one of my favorite current writers in the industry. His work on Daredevil, Spectacular Spider-Man, and other Marvel work has all shown he is one of the best writers in the industry right now. Being paired up with two of the best artists in the industry in Jorge Jimenez and Belen Ortega as well just further elevates how highly anticipated this upcoming Batman run is.
Like most DC Comics titles Zdarsky and Jimenez’s Batman series will not be taking place during or after the Death of the Justice League. Instead it will be taking at some point prior to the event with Bruce Wayne as Batman and Tim Drake as Robin being the leads of the series. Though there appears to be some tie-in to Dark Crisis as Batman#125 does tease Bruce having a dream about a dark future. That may be related to the new Failsafe villain but it wouldn’t be surprising if possibly due to what the Great Darkness is doing that Bruce and the rest of the Justice League will get dark premonitions about their futures in their respective titles before the entire DC Universe timeline aligns with Dark Crisis.
RAM V & RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE TAKEOVER DETECTIVE COMICS
The Batman ongoing series isn’t the only Bat-title getting a new creative team. Detective Comics is also getting a new creative team in the form of Ram V and Rafael Albuquerque. They are following up Mariko Tamaki, who had a great run on Detective Comics that included the Shadows of the Bat weekly event. While long seen as the second title in the franchise Detective Comics has had as strong of Batman stories told as the main series for the Dark Knight. So Ram V and Albuquerque have a lot to live up from their predecessors.
Now just like Snyder, Tynion, Tamaki, Williamson, and many before them, Ram V and Albuquerque are creating a team villain named Overture for Batman to take on. Based on the covers Ram V and Albuquerque are going with a horror and mystical element for Overture. There is a lot of talk about demons in this. How far we go into the horror and mystical territory for Batman’s Detective Comics will be interesting to see.
ARTEMIS VS THE AMAZONS
A big plotline for Trial of the Amazons is the mystery behind who killed Hippolyta. Its still not clear who the #1 suspect is as it could really be anyone. Though one person Cassandra Sandsmark did question during her investigation is Artemis. Now based on the new Artemis: Wanted series it does look likely that Artemis will at least be the one taking the fall for Hippolyta’s death. It would definitely add immediate importance to Artemis: Wanted that she is being hunted Jason Bourne-style while trying to prove her innocence. That said, Artemis could be wanted for something else since the solicitation for Nubia: Queen of the Amazons #2 teases the fact that we don’t know who the Hippolyta’s killer is.
The Artemis: Wanted series will also be important to further setting the foundation for what the Wonder Woman franchise will be when ever everything aligns with Dark Crisis. We also got the Nubia and Wonder Woman series that the Gods will play some greater role in what the franchise future is. Which seems to be something that the Trial of the Amazons is doing by merging the mythologies of all three Amazon Tribes to better coexist under the Wonder Woman franchise.
DARK CRISIS IMPACT ON AQUAMAN FRANCHISE
Every single franchise is going to be eventually impacted by Dark Crisis. Its just a question of when each franchise will deal with the future timeline seen in Dark Crisis. We already know that The Flash series will immediately tie-in to the event as soon as Dark Crisis begins. Now we know that the Aquamen series that was starring Arthur Curry and Jackson Hyde will be tackling the death of the former in Death of the Justice League.
While initially announced as a new ongoing series, based on reports it does appear that Aquamen was always intended to be a mini-series that DC Comics just did not promote that way. Whether that is true or not we know that Aquamen #6 is the final issue of the series. This likely means we will get a new Aquaman series starring Jackson Hyde in August that will tie directly into Dark Crisis, like The Flash. How Aquamen #6 sets up the future for Jackson, Mera, Garth, Tula, and Andy’s future is something that Aquaman fans will want to keep an eye out for.
DREAMER DEBUTS IN THE DC UNIVERSE
Finally after first appearing in the season 4 premiere of Supergirl back in 2018 Nia Nal, also known as the superhero Dreamer, is debuting in the DC Universe in Superman: Son of Kal-El #13. To help with Nia Nal’s debut in the DCU actress Nicole Maines, who portrayed Dreamer as TV’s first transgender superhero, will co-write Superman: Son of Kal-El #13 along with Tom Taylor. Maines working with Taylor to co-write Dreamer’s debut should help bring in elements of Dreamer’s character from the Arrowverse into how she is portrayed in the DCU.
Dreamer’s debut could also be what helps to connect Superman: Son of Kal-El to the events in Dark Crisis. Since we don’t know when any of the DC Comics ongoing titles will tie-in to Dark Crisis having a character like Dreamer bring this up to Jon Kent through her premonition superpowers would be a good tie. It would also help to make Dreamer an even more important character as her premonition powers could be a big help to heroes in the darkest hours they will be facing in the future.
YOUNG JUSTICE: PHANTOMS AFTERMATH COMIC BOOK
While it is still up in the air if we will get a fifth season of Young Justice we know that we’ll be getting a new comic book series. Based on what was said in the press release for the new comic book series Young Justice: Targets will be set after the Phantoms season with back-up stories told in the timelines of past Young Justice seasons. Because of this timeline given it does appear that, based on the covers and preview of the first issue, that Beast Boy will be rejoining the Outsiders and Conner Kent will return to from the Phantom Zone by the end of the fourth season. That is a big spoiler if Young Justice: Targets truly takes place after the fourth season.
With that said, it is cool to see that Young Justice: Phantoms will give us something that we aren’t getting in the main DC Universe. And that is a leading role for the Green Arrow family as Oliver Queen, Dinah Lance, and Roy Harper are prominently featured in Young Justice: Targets #1 cover. Roy Harper, along with his clones, is one of the more interesting characters in the Young Justice Universe. It has been disappointed that because of how things have gone in the Outsiders and Phantoms season that Roy Harper has basically become nonexistent. Having a comic book prominently featuring the Green Arrow family will partially make up for that.