What You Might Have Missed In DC’s May 2017 Solicitations

The concept of the Superman Revenge Squad goes all the way back to 1962, but it has never had a roster as formidable as this before. Grant Morrison introduced a similar idea — in early days of The New 52 — featuring characters powered with different forms of Kryptonite, but this new incarnation featuring Eradicator, Cyborg Superman, Metallo, Mongul, and potentially General Zod could be the most fearsome group of foes to ever take on The Man of Tomorrow.

Steve Orlando is a creator who has made a reputation as someone willing to go for the deep cuts, but introducing the Terrorsmith in the pages of Justice League of America might be his deepest cut yet. The character was introduced as a part of the Bloodlines event, which also gave us Hitman and not much else. He has the power to transform anyone he touches into a monster influenced by their worst fears, which might just make him the most deadly foe for the recovering supervillain Killer Frost.

Blockbuster doesn't seem like the most impressive villain in the DC Universe at first, but if you've read the classic Chuck Dixon/Scott McDaniel run on Nightwing then you know that under the hulking frame lies a keen criminal mind. Dick Grayson's struggles to free Bludhaven from Blockbuster's wrath was a defining story for him away from the influence of Batman and Gotham, and the villain has perhaps the most legitimate claim to be Nightwing's number one enemy.

Speaking on Batman villains being revisited, The Wrath represents one of the first attempts at a true anti-Batman in the vein of Prometheus, or the more recent Raptor. The villain's parents were gunned down by police when he was a child, and he swore vengeance by committing his life to crime. The New 52 actually introduced an updated version several years ago, so it'll be interesting to see whether this is that interpretation of the character (who was as much an anti-Bruce Wayne as he was an anti-Batman) or a more classic approach.

After all that villain talk, I wanted to highlight something that just looks straight-up fun, and that's this Supergirl/Batgirl team-up taking place in the pages of the former's title in May. Heck, who knows? We've established Steve Orlando loves those deep cuts, so maybe we can expect the pair to fight Jer-Em, the pre-Crisis fanatic responsible for the destruction of Argo City. I would not put it past him.