We got a new batch of comic book solicitations from DC Comics. Seeing their March 2024 solicitations a big focal point appears to be everything Amanda Waller is building. She certainly has a lot of things in motion. That is in addition to the big individual stories going on involving Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, and others. Let’s take a look at the biggest takeaways from DC Comics March 2024 solicitations.
BATMAN GOES TO PRISON
Batman is carrying the rough way he is ending 2023 into the start of 2024. There is obvious fallout from Gotham War with Bruce Wayne breaking away from the Batman Family. In both Batman and Detective Comics he has been dealing with Joker, Batman of Zur-En-Arrh, and Orghams Family. Then most recently he has been transformed into a mindless beast Titans: Beast World, taking him out of factoring into the last big DC Universe event.
Now we see in the fallout of the battle against Batman Zur-En-Arrh Bruce will find himself in a prison of Zur’s creation starting with Batman #145. With this latest development its even more clear that Zdarsky is going to be having Batman Zur-En-Arrh as the main antagonist of his run on Batman. Its one way to elevate other Batman villains, as we saw with Scott Snyder and Tom King do with the Court of Owls and Bane before Zdarsky. Its certainly different threat for Bruce to have to battle his own creation from the very early portion of his career as Batman that he previously buried.
Along with the physical prison created by Batman Zur-En-Arrh, Bruce will also be dealing with a mental prison that the Orghams Family are creating for him. Ram V in his own way is further testing the mental and physical strength of Bruce as he is feeling his age. Being placed in a limbo-like scenario will be a major test to see Bruce go through in Detective Comics #1083.
AMANDA WALLER CREATING A NEW SUPERHERO CIVIL WAR
Bringing back the Suicide Squad was an obvious move for Amanda Waller. We’ve seen in both Titans and Green Arrow that Amanda Waller has been having Peacemaker lead a new Task Force X. Assembling the new Suicide Squad roster with Dreamer as a centerpiece does show she is looking to recruit more heroic characters to her side. Mixing in Dreamer, Harley Quinn, and Bizarro with Clock King, Black Alice, and Deadeye shows she is using the non-top tier characters to begin the next phase of her plan.
That is further showcased in Green Arrow #10 where its teased that Amanda Waller is creating yet another team. This time its made up of all former Oliver Queen female proteges with Red Arrow, Red Canary, Arrowette, and Speedy as the new team. To make things clearly personal Amanda Waller is sending this new team after Green Arrows Oliver Queen and Connor Hawke.
This is all in addition to over in the Batman titles Amanda Waller has taken an interest in Gotham City after Batman and Catwoman’s war. That has included Waller trying to recruit Catwoma and Green Arrow to her side. With all of this going on it wouldn’t be surprising if Amanda Waller is setting up the heroes and other metahumans to eventually go to war. It would certainly play into Amanda Waller doing everything to turn the world against superheroes.
FORGET THE AMAZON CRISIS, TIME TO CELEBRATE BATMAN’S BIRTHDAY
What could be more important than helping your people not get killed by an entire world that is hunting them? What else than celebrating the birthday of Bruce Wayne. That is at least what the solicitation for Wonder Woman #7 is basing its entire selling point as. This definitely feels like a sales ploy to have Batman and Superman in a story.
What hopefully that solicitation is treated as a sub-plot to the bigger Amazon story. A major question mark for Tom King’s current Wonder Woman direction is why Batman, Superman, and other Wonder Woman allies aren’t getting involved. The crisis with the Amazons is big enough that we should be seeing other heroes react or doing something to help in the Wonder Woman series. If Batman and Superman’s involvement is just getting a birthday present for the former it’ll be extremely disappointing.
BATGIRL FINALLY JOINS THE BIRDS OF PREY
Major omissions for the latest Birds of Prey team was Barbara Gordon and Helena Bertinelli. Within the first story arc it was at least explained that due to certain reasons Dinah Lance could recruit Barbara to help her save Sin. Similar care in explanation was not give for Helena’s exclusion. But at least now we know why Kelly Thompson made sure to have Barbara referenced from the beginning by Dinah. That’s because we see starting in Birds of Prey #7 Barbara as Batgirl will be joining the team.
The big question is if Barbara will be a permanent member of the team as Batgirl and/or Oracle. The solicitation for Birds of Prey #7 indicates that the series may feature a rotating roster for the team moving forward. The main cover only features Black Canary with Barbara and Cassandra Cain as Batgirl while the variants still feature Harley Quinn, Zealot, and Big Barda on the team. Having a rotating roster that Black Canary mixes up leading depending on the mission would certainly set the Birds of Prey further apart from Titans, Outsiders, and other current team mission approach.
JUSTICE LEAGUE BACK IN APE FORM
The Justice League have been noticeably absent in the new Dawn of DC direction. We’ve seen in a world without the Justice League that the world has been moving forward into the future in its own way. On the publishing side DC Comics has gotten away with the team having a main series with the Justice League vs Godzilla vs Kong.
Now DC Comics is adding to making sure fans are getting their Justice League fill with the Ape-Ril Special. Similar to Justice League vs Godzilla vs Kong, Ape-Ril Special appears to be more on the fun side of storytelling instead of a big event. Which is good to see DC Comics doing this with he Justice League IP. Its certainly a different direction after the last few decades the Justice Lague have had the team just building to the next big event.