New Krypton is a planet so fresh, it’s experiencing countless things for the first time. Its first spring. Its first blooms. Its first birth of a child. And now its first homicide. When an important figure in Kandor is murdered, the suspect seems obvious to everyone but Superman. But can he make Zod or the Council believe this is more than an open-and-shut case? And can he uncover the real killer in time to save the life of the accused? It’s a dark mystery, and the truth may blow apart the civilized trappings of Kandorian society in the process. From writers Greg Rucka, James Robinson and artist Pete Woods.

SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #10 hits 12/2.

We realize you’re probably scrambling to get everything done in time to jet out of work early and get on with your Thanksgiving, but why not take a moment to look at some lovely BLACKEST NIGHT: WONDER WOMAN #1 artwork from Nicola Scott, who’s pairing with writer Greg Rucka on the three-issue mini-series. See? We knew you’d come around.

Yesterday, we showed some pages from the Batwoman feature in DETECTIVE COMICS #859 — but let’s not forget about The Question second feature, from Greg Rucka and artist Cully Hamner. The case may be closed closed, but Renee won’t stop until she has the answers! When a new lead points to the Sicilian mafia, The Question turns to an expert for assistance. But can she trust the Huntress to be professional when family rears its ugly head?

DETECTIVE COMICS #859 hits 11/25.

Writer Greg Rucka and artist J.H. Williams III continue unveiling the origin of Batwoman, as Kate Kane lands in Gotham, meets officer Renee Montoya and crosses paths with Batman — a meeting that will change her life forever. Don’t miss a chapter of this groundbreaking run, folks. You’ll regret it. Scroll down for a few pages from the issue, which hits 11/25. People that know me will understand how difficult it was for me to post pages involving any kind of werewolf, so there you go. Also, check back tomorrow for a peek at The Question second feature, from Rucka and artist Cully Hamner.

There isn’t much I can say about this cover — aside from the fact that Batman and Batwoman are both on it — but who needs my commentary when you have art this lovely by Mr. J.H. Williams? Nobody, I say.

Since “Codename: Patriot,” Earth’s hatred for Kryptonians has only escalated – which is what makes it so odd that Nightwing and Flamebird pick now to go public as super heroes. Meanwhile, Lois Lane finally meets with the man she thought long dead – her father, General Lane. But he has a message to deliver to his journalist daughter: “You’re either with us or against us.”

And in part 5 of the new co-feature, Captain Atom, now back on Earth and knowing the truth about his mission, must face an old foe: Major Force. All courtesy of the team of Greg Rucka, Eric Trautmann, James Robinson, Pere Pérez and CAFU.

ACTION COMICS #883 hits 11/11.

Think humans and Kryptonians are the only two races in our solar system? Wrong. Jemm, Son of Saturn, ruler of the super-powered Saturnian race, arrives in Kandor demanding answers to New Krypton’s recent actions – answers he intends to get even if he has to fight his way through Commander Kal-El and the entire Kryptonian army. Not the recipe for a friendly sitdown, eh? All this and a Mark Buckingham variant cover, courtesy of writers James Robinson and Greg Rucka, along with artists Pete Woods and Ron Randall.

SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #9 hits 11/4.

Hola, folks!

I wish I could be like my ultra-trendy pal Michael Siglain, and give you a nice Halloween theme here, but let’s face it: on New Krypton, everyone wears a costume 24/7, and they don’t have candy there. (Notice none of the Kryptonians are overweight—well, except for Kal’s lawyer, but that’s genetic.) You’d think having been trapped in a bottle for decades they’d all be out of shape—or at least have invented Malomars. Whatever.

In celebration of not celebrating Halloween in space this year, here’s a shot from WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON (WONK to you insiders) #9, featuring Kal-El, some bodiless heads that are really big, and a couple of people I really wish were just dressing up, courtesy of James Robinson, Greg Rucka, Pete Woods and Nei Ruffino.

You can get the full horrific scoop of what’s going on here next Wednesday, the 4th, which is not just the first Wednesday of November, but about the time I’ll be trying to figure out a “What Superman’s Thankful for This Year” theme for the next column. Continuing our non-scary tour of the DC books, check out this upcoming page from ACTION #883, which comes out November 11th.

Wow, who knew Flamebird’s super-power was a knockout kiss? And hey, that Brimstone dude’s kinda Halloween-like, right? At least Rucka, Eric Trautmann, Pere Pérez and Javier Mena think so.

Check out this page from November 18th’s SUPERGIRL #47. Guess we know what Alura Zor-El thinks of Halloween, huh?

And if you want to see something that’s really scary, just imagine this day which Alura has been both eagerly anticipating and dreading simultaneously, as she at last comes face-to-face with the man who murdered her husband—Reactron!

Bet you wish you knew what they were saying, huh? My thanks to Sterling Gates, Matt Camp and the aforementioned Nei Ruffino for these glimpses into Supergirl’s future—well, her book’s future, anyway. Which brings us to November 25th, Thanksgiving eve, and SUPERMAN #694. Anyone remember Javi Pina? He teamed up with James Robinson to bring you this past summer’s SUPERMAN ANNUAL. Well, the scream team is at it again, this time for SUPERMAN #694, a.k.a. “Man of Valor” part 1, the arc which will bring Mon-El back in time to the very day Halloween was conceived, and… okay, it has nothing to do with Candy Day, but Bizarro is pretty scary, right? Huh? Please?

Wow, that’s some heady stuff, particularly with Blond’s coloring in place! Why, I—er, what? Oh, okay. That was Alex Segura on the phone, telling me I have failed utterly in my Halloween themage. Maybe I’d better get an early start on the Thanksgiving column. Anyone have a good suggestion for words that rhyme with “Turkey”?

The shocking and tragic origin of Batwoman starts here, in a haunting, evocative issue penned by writer Greg Rucka with art from the masterful J.H. Williams III. With “Go,” Rucka and Williams reveal the true story behind the kidnapping of Kate Kane and her family by terrorists and how these events tragically alter Kate — and her family’s life — forever. All this and the mystery behind the villainous Alice revealed.

Check out a few pages below, plus a peek at THE QUESTION co-feature, as Renee’s search for a missing girl comes to a bittersweet end, leaving more questions behind. Well, if Renee survives the night.
DETECTIVE COMICS #858 hits 10/28.

Sterling Gates is far from a newcomer to the DCU — but he’s certainly one that’s on the rise. With his work — alongside artist Jamal Igle — redefining and stabilizing SUPERGIRL, Gates has made a name for himself for his tight plotting and knack for strong and precise characterization. All of which can be seen month-in and month-out in the pages of the Girl of Steel’s ongoing series. Not-so-coincidentally, you can get a good sense of what we’re talking about here by picking up the newly-released SUPERGIRL: WHO IS SUPERWOMAN? collection, which shows Gates and Igle slowly unraveling the mystery behind the new, villainous Superwoman.

But why stop there? In addition to his work on SUPERGIRL, Gates has expanded his reach in Metropolis and Krypton, firstly by co-writing the recently-concluded “Hunt for Reactron” arc with writer Greg Rucka in the pages of SUPERGIRL and ACTION COMICS and now with WORLD’S FINEST, a mini-series slated to spotlight members of the Batman and Superman families of characters as they team-up to face off against common threats.

The first issue kicks off with Gates and artist Julian Lopez bringing Red Robin and Christopher Kent/Nightwing together to help track down a missing Flamebird — but as readers have come to expect from Gates, things are rarely that linear, so fans should be in for a treat. But don’t take my word for it — check out some pages from the first issue below.