The Top 10 DC Comics Coming in July 2011

With the July solicitations out for DC Comics, ComicsAlliance is back to take a look at the 10 best-looking comics coming out from DC in July 2011. Click below the jump for our thoughts on the continuing delays for Batman: The Dark Knight, the future of Batman Incorporated, getting retroactive, and one of DC's absolute all-time great titles finally being republished in a consumer-friendly manner.

Written by TONY BEDARD

Art by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA

Cover by DAVE JOHNSON

1:10 Variant cover by DOUG MAHNKE

The shocking consequences of the blockbuster "War of the Green Lantern" event have shattered the lives of Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart and Kyle Rayner in ways no one will see coming.

Everything you thought you knew about the Corps is no more!

Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the retailer order form for more information.

On sale JULY 13 • 40 pg, 1 of 2 , FC, $3.99 US • RATED T

The end of the "War of the Green Lanterns" crossover is apparently bringing a great deal of change to the line, at least for now: with this being the first of two parts and Green Lantern off the schedule this month, I'm tempted to guess that Johns's title is on a two-month hiatus until Flashpoint concludes with this taking its place. At least for these two months, Bedard seems to be off the Green Lantern Corps title, with its previous scriptwriter Peter J. Tomasi taking duties on that and his current title Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors, which might have something to do with why he's currently on hiatus from Batman and Robin after his first three-issue arc. Not to mention that "Grounded" in Superman and "Odyssey" in Wonder Woman will both end in August - due to two fill-in issues in the former and an extension (announced in this month's solicitations) to the latter. Musical Assignments is coming to DC Comics, and these are just the first volleys of what's likely to be a pretty gigantic line-changing salvo when Flashpoint concludes.

Miguel Sepulveda did a great job on last week's Superman/Batman annual, though, so it should at least look pretty.

Written by DAVID FINCH

Art by JAY FABOK

Cover by DAVID FINCH

1:25 Variant cover by ANDY CLARKE

Now featuring art by rising star Jay Fabok (Soulfire)!

Etrigan the Demon's loyalties are stretched to their breaking point, and when he chooses sides, an epic battle ensues with Batman! The victor can only be decided with the help of a new friend, but there's no time to spare for infighting, because Gotham City is being overrun by a demon horde...

Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information. This issue is resolicited. All previous orders are cancelled.

RESOLICIT • On sale JULY 27 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Give it up, guys. And yes, this is now the third solicitation of this issue in five months.

Written by JONATHAN VANKIN

Art by MARCO CASTIELLO

Cover by ARDIAN SYAF and VICENTE CIFUENTES

1:10 Variant cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO

Who has been cursed to find the Swamp Thing – and can Superman and the other heroes stop him?

Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

On sale JULY 27 • 2 of 3, 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Ex-Vertigo editor Jonathan Vankin writes the second issue of this miniseries, which will also conveniently end the same month as all of the Flashpoint miniseries and the WOTGL aftermath. Judging by the series of covers showing this "mystery character" from the back and that he's also someone returning after a long hiatus, I'm guessing this miniseries is actually American Gothic II: Constantine Boogaloo. With all of the horrors and wonders that implies. Vankin's only previous writing credits are a few miniseries and OGNs for Vertigo, albeit ones outside of the Constantine/Vertigo Classic lineup (although he did edit Hellblazer for about two years, during the tail end of Mike Carey's run and all of Denise Mina's). It seems odd to me that they'd bring back these characters in what look like editorially-mandated plot-point-bullet-list titles, but my instincts could be wrong.

Written by LEN WEIN

Art by TBD

Cover by TBD

The 1970s was a pivotal decade for Batman, one in which he transitioned from TV's campy Caped Crusader into today's Dark Knight Detective!

Now, legendary scribe Len Wein (DC UNIVERSE: LEGACIES) tells a never-before-revealed tale from this era in a brand-new story!

Plus: Following the 26-page lead story is a classic tale originally published in the '70s, also written by Len Wein!

ONE-SHOT • On sale JULY 20 • 56 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T

Because if there's one thing DC Comics doesn't do enough, it's reach to the past. It looks like they're going to be unleashing a decade's worth of these every two weeks, so the '70s are the last two weeks of April, and the '80s and '90s will take the first and second parts respectively of August. It's likely that these oneshots will be a total mixed bag with completely varying approaches - some of these might be nothing other than scripts that never saw publication initially updated for modern times, and some of them might try to wink and nod at modern continuity, especially the later ones by creators who are still working. But this issue: it's Len Wein writing Batman again. Len "The Untold Legend of the Batman" Wein. And the Source says the artist is Tom Mandrake. I'm in.

Written by MARV WOLFMAN

Art and cover by GEORGE PEREZ

Legendary creators Marv Wolfman (CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS) and George Pérez (FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS) reunite for a lost tale from their classic run on the best-selling NEW TEEN TITANS!

This original graphic novel features a mysterious villain playing a deadly game with New York City as the gameboard – and the Teen Titans as thepieces! Twenty years in the making, THE NEW TEEN TITANS: GAMES is a can't-miss for fans new and old.

Retailers: This item is resolicited. All previous orders are cancelled.

RESOLICIT • On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 144 pg, 8.125" x 10.812", FC, $24.99 US

Marv Wolfman and George Perez, together again with the team that made them superstars. This is basically the equivalent of Chris Claremont and John Byrne coming back together for an X-Men graphic novel, minus the personal clashes that would result from that pairing. It's rare for two creators at the top of their game 20 years ago to still be working together today; it's even rarer that both of them still hold prominent creative positions at DC Comics. This book should be a fascinating document, since part of it was done decades ago and part of it was completed this year. Also, it's more Wolfman/Perez Titans. This is an event.

Written by KEITH GIFFEN, J.M. DEMATTEIS and BOB HANEY • Art by KEVIN MAGUIRE, TIM LEVINS and others • Cover by KEVIN MAGUIRE

Collected from DOOM PATROL #1-7, don't miss the Metal Men's adventures against The Clique, living mannequins, an ancient god, at the Department of Motor Vehicles and more. Plus, from SILVER AGE: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #1, the team meets Batman, Green Arrow

and Black Canary!

On sale JULY 20 • 96 pg, FC, $7.99 US

In case you missed these thoroughly charming stories when they were first published as backups in the first seven issues of the Doom Patrol ongoing, here they are and they're absolutely worth $8 combined. This is seventy story pages of very, very, very funny superhero comics, crafted by a team that's been doing superlative work together for years. Even Tim Levins's fill-in installment doesn't feel like a fill-in as much as it does an interesting departure, and Giffen and DeMatteis are as hilarious and on point as always. It's the Justice League International team on the Metal Men, and that's really the perfect summary for this utterly enjoyable comic.

Written by GRANT MORRISON

Art and cover by SEAN MURPHY

Collecting the acclaimed 8-issue miniseries!

Joe is an imaginative eleven-year-old boy. He can't fit in at school. He's the victim of bullies. His dad died overseas in the Iraq war. He also suffers from Type 1 diabetes. One fateful day, his condition causes him to believe he has entered a vivid fantasy world in which he is the lost savior - a fantastic land based on the layout and contents of his home. His desperate attempts to make it out of his bedroom transform into an incredible, epic adventure through a bizarre landscape of submarine pirate dwarves, evil Hell Hounds, Lightning Lords and besieged castles. But is his quest really just an insulin deprived delirium - from which he can die if he doesn't take his meds - or something much bigger?

On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 224 pg, 7.0625" x 10.875", FC, $29.99 US • MATURE READERS

David Brothers and I took this apart last month, but: even though I think this may be one of the weakest works Grant Morrison has ever done from a scripting perspective, Sean Murphy's art is still absolutely stellar, and guaranteed to shine in the deluxe oversized format. It may not be the pure, condensed bullet of excitement and genius that comprises #1 on this countdown, but it's still a very enjoyable adventure comic done by two A-list creators, even if one of them was palpably bringing his B-game. This would be a no-brainer for me if I hadn't already bought the whole thing in singles. Honestly, now I wish I hadn't and just waited for this instead.

Written by ED BRUBAKER • Art by SEAN PHILLIPS and SCOTT MCDANIEL • Cover by SEAN PHILLIPS

Don't miss this Elseworlds set in a stylish Gotham City straight out of classic mystery films, starring a down-on-his luck cop called Jim Gordon and the mysterious Bat! Plus, from BATMAN #604, The Dark Knight returns to Crime Alley for an encounter with Catwoman!

On sale JULY 13 • 96 pg, FC, $7.99 US

Honestly, I had no idea that Brubaker and Phillips had ever done this. I haven't even looked it up, but it's Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips on a self-contained Batman story. That's got to be pretty great, Elseworlds or not. It does seem odd to me that DC seems to only be reprinting Brubaker's work in these DC Comics Presents volumes, though - this is a guy who's made his name as an absolute top-string A-lister at Marvel Comics, so it's downright bizarre that there isn't an Ed Brubaker's Batman omnibus or something. At the same time, the vast majority of his run was mired in crossovers, so collecting it could be rather difficult, although the #604 in this solicit is an excellent, excellent issue from that run.

Written by GRANT MORRISON

Art and cover by CAMERON STEWART

1:25 Variant cover by CAMERON STEWART

Is an exclusive girls' finishing school a secret training ground for teenaged assassins? Find out the truth as Batgirl undertakes her most dangerous

mission yet at the request of Batman.

Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.

On sale JULY 20 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

As Chris Sims pointed out to me - because I somehow managed to miss this episode my entire childhood, or it's just been forever since I've seen it - this seems to be an homage to the episode "The Londinium Larcenies" of the 1966 Batman TV show. Still, this is a near-perfect marriage of characters, creators and content -- it gives Morrison a chance to write Batgirl as well as rip on a '60s Batman TV episode, it gives Cameron Stewart a further excuse to draw attractive schoolgirls (which I doubt he's crying about), and it gives DC Comics an excuse to pander to the lowest common denominator (including myself). The solicited cover is by Chris Burnham rather than the stated Cameron Stewart, and I really don't have a problem with this.

Written by JACK KIRBY

Art by JACK KIRBY, MIKE ROYER and D. BRUCE BERRY

Cover by JACK KIRBY and MIKE ROYER

At last, DC collects the adventures of Kamandi in the popular Omnibus format, beginning with issues #1-20!

In these tales, Kamandi – one of the few survivors of a futuristic Great Disaster that has destroyed civilization – must make his way through a world populated by bizarre, mutated animals and other strange wonders! Considered one of Jack Kirby's most creative works, KAMANDI features a band of intelligent animal supporting characters who accompany Kamandi as he searches for answers and adventure across the wastelands of Earth.

On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 448 pg, FC, $49.99 US

This is pure comics injected into your nervous system via a spinal tap. This is the master of American adventure comics, the master, on his most complete and pure storytelling journey through a fantastic, fully-realized future. This book is a shrine to the indomitability of the human spirit, and the kind of comic that can only be produced by someone with the creativity of youth and the wisdom of age. This is twenty issues of near-comics-perfection for fifty dollars, reasonably priced (and presumably recolored in the vein of the Fourth World omnibuses) for the first time, and likely to actually reach the conclusion of the run. This is must-have comics.