November is yet another big month for DC Comics. On top of Dark Nights: Metal continuing, November marks the start of Doomsday Clock. This will be the official full introduction of Doctor Manhattan, who up to this point has only appeared off-screen, to the DC Universe. The month also marks the possible return of Tim Drake, both Titans teams splitting apart, Zatanna back in school and much more. Let’s take a look at the notable things coming from DC Comics in November.
DOOMSDAY CLOCK TICKS FOR THE DC UNIVERSE
Things will only get harder for the DC Universe as Doctor Manhattan makes his presence known to at least Superman. Seeing Doomsday Clock being headlined by the Geoff Johns and Gary Franks helps build even more hype for this event. The combination of Johns and Frank have provided some of the best modern DC Comics. Doomsday Clock should be no different.
As an event that will be centered around Doctor Manhattan and Superman there are a lot of questions Doomsday Clock may answer. On top of learning more about what Doctor Manhattan we may get even further clarification why Superman’s history was messed with so much with the New 52 restart. With Dark Nights: Metal still going on as Doomsday Clock start, it’ll be interesting to see who gets involved in the story and how much of the Multiverse is used during this 12 issue maxi-series.
DARK NIGHTS: METAL UNLEASHES BATS OUT OF HELL
Dark Nights: Metal continues to get worse for the heroes of the DC Universe. An interesting note in the “Bats Out Of Hell” crossover tie-in story is that we don’t see a mention of Superman. It looks like something happens to Superman to take him out of the equation. At the same time we will learn more about the Dark Knights from the Dark Multiverse. From presence alone the Dark Knights look like formidable foes. “Bats Out Of Hell” should only go to drive home how much trouble they are when going up against the Justice League.
DUKE THOMAS OFFICIALLY BECOMES THE SIGNAL
There has been a slow build in integration Duke Thomas into a major member of the Batman Family. Now that slow burn is going to finally pay off as Duke will assume his new hero identity full-time as he becomes The Signal. Giving Duke a mini-series is a good way to test how much interest there actually is for an ongoing series for the character. It’s a similar approach DC went with when Tim Drake first assumed the Robin identity. And from the details we get, the Batman and The Signal mini-series will establish how Duke will be a different hero compared to other Batman Family members in how he operates.
BIRDS OF PREY EXPANDING ROSTER
The most recent issue of Batgirl and the Birds of Prey established that Poison Ivy and Catwoman will be joining the team, at least for a short period. The membership drive seems to be continuing in November as Batwoman, Spoiler, Gotham Girl and Wonder Woman guest star in Batgirl and the Birds of Prey #16. Though Wonder Woman and Batwoman are a long-shot for joining the Birds of Prey as members it could be a good thing to have Spoiler and Gotham Girl join their ranks. Since those two are only appearing in Detective Comics, having them interact with Batgirl and others more will only be a good thing for both characters.
TIM DRAKE OFFICIALLY RETURNS
November seems to be the month Tim Drake will officially return to the DC Universe. That is a big development considering Mr. Oz will be recently finishing up his conflict with Superman and Doomsday Clock will kick off. Seeing as Detective Comics #968 is the only solicitation that mentions Tim’s return it may not be permanent. Or it could possibly hint at Tim playing a bigger role in Doomsday Clock since he will know the most about what is going on with the Watchmen integration in the DCU. That could also clue us in on who he finds in Mr. Oz’s prison as it could be another forgotten DC character or someone from the Watchmen Universe.
KID FLASH IN, ROBIN OUT OF TEEN TITANS
In taking a look at DC’s November solicitations it does not seem like the month will be kind to Kid Flash. The younger Wally West trouble in integrating himself into the DC Universe is only getting worse as he has to deal with Barry as Negative Flash and Deathstroke ending the super team he created after “The Lazarus Contract” crossover.
So for Kid Flash the only positive place he can have is rejoining the Teen Titans. Though even that doesn’t look to go right with Kid Flash still heated after Robin fired him. If Kid Flash want’s to be accepted more he will need to learn how to admit his own mistakes, but that doesn’t look to be the case in November.
NIGHTWING IS NOT THE TITANS TRAITOR
In the recent Titans issue it was revealed that Nightwing was an agent of HIVE. As I stated in my review, that was an extremely underwhelming reveal. Though it seems like that cliffhanger ending was a fake out as the real Titans traitor has yet to be revealed. If that is the case, than Titans could turn a bad reveal into a good one. Especially if the traitor turns out to be one of the Titans who has had very little attention given to them as romance clouds the air around Titans Tower.
WONDER WOMAN MEETS HER BROTHER
Wonder Woman will finally get to meet the brother she never had. Learning that Wonder Woman has a brother is a shocking addition to her mythos. It’s an addition James Robinson and DC have to treat with care as it could easily go south for the fanbase. Still, seeing as Grail is involved in Wonder Woman meeting her brother, Jason, this could turn out to be a good thing for the franchise. Hopefully that is the case and we see Jason add to Wonder Woman’s mythos.
ZATANNA GOES BACK TO SCHOOL IN MYSTIK U
Mystik U is a great example of a comic book that I was not expecting from DC but instantly interested in buying. Zatanna has been rumored to have her own comic published for a long time. From the plans Paul Dini had for the character to her recent appearance in Detective Comics, Zatanna is one of those fan favorites that can’t catch a break with being a constant in DC’s publishing line. Hopefully Mystik U will turn out to be Zatanna’s big break and it helps bring new fans in to a character that has wealth of potential to explore her past, present and future.