15
Hellblazer
Simon Oliver & Moritat
Okay, I like the building blocks of this a lot. These creations starting a war is a cool idea and John seems very much in-character. He’s not necessarily the good guy, but basically a selfish asshole who gets by. The Mercury speech was well done and a good point for new readers. I do still wish this was a Vertigo book with this creative team, but I will continue. Those goddamn skull emojis to cover up the cursing is driving me mad though. – MeanOldPig
A lot to like even in the first issue, not the least of which is the table-setting with Swamp Thing and Abby (maybe). I was a little worried that the new Constantine series was either going to be too Justice League Dark-y, or, even worse, one demonic possession story after another. (Or, worst of all, a continuation of the American road trip from the NBC series.) Oliver seems to get it, but I’m still curious as to why the character is here… when Doom Patrol and Shade get the Young Animal treatment. – MMDG
First collection: The Hellblazer Volume 1: The Poison Truth (March)
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14
Batman Beyond
Dan Jurgens, Bernard Chang, & Ryan Sook
This is my kind of Bat-book. Totally unrelated to the main thread, with some altered takes on familiar faces, and a vibrant world to boot. The art is excellent; the action moves freely. This reminded me of the beloved cartoon show in all the right ways. – IP
Ryan Sook’s art is killing it. His Jokerz design is great, and he’s doing a great job with expressive faces and body language. I like the consolidation of Joker gas and Bane’s Venom, too. The origin story was paneled really well and Jurgens spent just the right amount of time bringing everyone up to speed. It’s cool seeing Max and Dana from the show, and it’s always a great idea to pick up a Batman story where he’s fighting the Joker. How this fits in with the Watchmen stuff is BEYOND me (since it’s like decades after, right?), but still has some great ideas worth exploring. Without Bruce Wayne, McGinnis is free to be his own character, and I’m down to see where that goes. – tyrannoflores
First collection: Batman Beyond Volume 1: The Return (June)
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No surprise, with Marvel’s latest Hollywood blockbuster scheduled for wide release on November 4, that we’re getting a double dose of the good doctor this year. Not since the Defenders days of the 70’s and 80’s has Doctor Strange featured simultaneously in multiple ongoing titles. Doctor Strange and The Sorcerers Supreme #1, by Robbie Thompson and Javier Rodriguez, hits shelves for week 4 of Marvel’s latest NOW! initiative, which gives us one more reason to thank Marvel Studios for making the Master of the Mystic Arts pop-culturally relevant. Unlike Aaron & Bachalo’s 
The story picks up after the events of The Last Days of Magic with Strange still trying to recover what magical energy he can in our universe. Merlin, of Arthurian lore, and no stranger to the Marvel universe, assembles a super-team of super-sorcerers to combat an entity known as The Forgotten, which was purportedly unleashed on the past during Strange’s battle with the Empirikul. It’s like a Web Warriors for the mystical set, except with more flowy capes and fewer anthropomorphic pigs. Suiting up for action is a Wiccan from a future in which he is Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme; a Sir Isaac Newton from a reality in which he commands a “Mindful One” (a creature that looks a lot like Dread Dormammu’s Mindless Ones); a brash, younger version of The Ancient One; and two new characters: Kushala, the Demon Rider, and a mysterious pistol-wielding, swashbuckling woman known only as “The Conjuror.”
Don’t everybody give up on Vertigo just yet. While we’re all pretty excited about 
The Institute of Idle Time 