Hello and welcome to the Single Issue Newsletter. In case you don’t remember me: my name is Walt, and this week I’m filling in for Matheus, who seems to be quietly taking over our entire written word department.
Of course, I’m more than happy to have him. Let me rephrase: happy‑ish. Since his singles newsletters already get better open and click rates than mine. Not cool… but also, yeah—cool.
Which brings me to today’s featured book:
I know what some of you were thinking, because I was thinking it too:
Do they really need to renumber the series at this point?
Are Matt Fraction and Jorge Jimenez the right people to lead the caped crusader into a new, exciting era?
Answer to 1: Probably not (but it won’t hurt sales either, to be honest).
Answer to 2: At least judging from the one issue I’ve read—this is very, very promising.
First: Yes, this is Fraction writing, but this is neither Hipster-Batman nor Cleverboy Batman. It’s Batman, the detective. The humanist. Fraction writes a very tight opening in Batman #1. The dialogues, the character introductions, everything's reduced and effective. Which makes a lot of sense, when you think who's the main character in this book. Nailed that, Fraction.
The subtext and theme take center-stage: loneliness, what is human, how to deal with your own fragility. Even though Batman is surrounded by people, he’s always had a hard time connecting. Accepting that is just… human. And accepting that was never Bruce's strong suit. Anyway, I think this will be a character-driven run and I am very much into that.
And then Jorge. Not much I can add to what’s already been said. Just a f*cking machine. He and colorist Tomeu Morey reintroduce a neon-noir Gotham that just gives a vibe from the first page. And it’s not just the cool shots (but DAMN, he brings those!!): it’s pitch-perfect cartooning, facial expressions, and drawing attractive humans without falling into the copy-paste trap. Let's be real: Jorge's the goat.
Honestly, I can’t remember a better time for Batman art: Nick Dragotta on Absolute, Hayden Sherman on Dark Detective, Mikel Janin and Lee Garbett on Detective... and now Jimenez, with what feels like his third reinvention of the character.
You need to give this #1 a shot, no question. And if you want to partake in incentive, CGC, or bling-bag shenanigans: we got you. Reading and collecting, no matter what they say, is not mutually exclusive.
BOOKS ON FOC
Black Cat #1
Will G. Willow Wilson make Heiko fall in love again? Poison Ivy already stole his heart, sure. But we all know Felicia Hardy can be a very convincing seducer...
In this new #1, Felicia’s world has been flipped after the fallout of Hellgate. Now she’s giving the superhero thing a try. Interesting concept! But in all seriousness, this is GWW, so it's gonna sing. And she's teaming up with Gleb Melnikov to give us a slick, twisty, morally wobbly start to Felicia’s next act. Worth keeping an eye on! (and especially on those sweet variant covers!! I think I will not be able to resist the Peach Momoko one...)
CUL-DE-SAC #1
Legendary writer Mike Carey (Lucifer, X-Men > Marvel, we're still waiting on those Omnis!) returns to comics with illustrator Jonathan Wayshak (Spawn: Violator) for a brutal new take on suburban horror. What starts as a normal summer camp-out turns into a nightmare when a group of kids discovers their parents are vampires... and want to pass on the family legacy.
Let just have fan-fav Skottie Young do the selling:
“This book is an instant F*** YES for me! Mike Carey writes a fresh take on vampire lore and then shocks you with mixing it with A Kids On Bikes adventure and both are covered in blood! Waysahk’s art pulls you into the story with pages so full of detail and texture you’ll feel like you need to wash your hands after you put this issue down. These two masters of the craft are creating something special here!”
Amen.
Titans Annual #1
This one gives classic Titans energy in all the best ways, and it’s coming from legendary Phil Jimenez. And let’s be real: if anyone’s going to do Donna Troy maximum justice, it’s him.
Written and drawn by Jimenez, this oversized annual follows Donna as she navigates the people and moments that shaped her, on her way to meet her estranged father for the first time. Emotional, elegant, and no doubt full of jaw dropping pages. Get ready.
OK folks, that’s all I got. If you haven’t yet, don’t forget to check out my latest nerd-out: a Diamond-style single issue sales chart covering out 50 best-selling singles in May. A new one’s dropping next week, so don’t miss the first installment—Battle Beast domination, surprise DC wins, and a gentle roast of Marvel’s #1 obsession included.
Remember, our Pre-Orders run until Saturday at 4pm and we cannot guarantee a copy after that time. So get over at Manage Comics and get your stuff. If you have any doubts or questions, send Heiko an email.
Cheers,
Walt
