With Rebirth now in full swing and so many exciting new titles to try, we can’t blame anyone for needing a reminder of what happened in the last issue. Or maybe you’re looking to add a new book to your list and need to get caught up on earlier chapters? Either way, we’re here to help. Every week, we’ll be recapping the prior issues of that week’s new Rebirth and Hanna-Barbera comics, as well as sharing our favorite moments. It’s a quick, easy way to ensure you’re up to speed and ready for New Comic Day. Plus, as a bonus, we’ve included a few animated recaps, to give you just a little more detail.
We hope you find these recaps helpful, but be aware that they do contain some spoilers!
Green Arrow #11
By Ben Percy and Juan Ferreyra
Framed for murder by Eddie Fryers and trapped aboard a high-speed transatlantic train full of the world’s diplomats, Team Arrow is in for a bout of their own very specific brand of trouble. Which is to say the sort that leaves them just barely scraping through and nearly causing an international incident. Thankfully, they’re pretty good at what they do...even when they have to adapt to things like seawater (and sharks) raining through the shattered subaquatic tube around the train. In the chaos, Eddie is able to escape and nearly cause the train to crash headlong into the crowd gathered at the end of the line, but thankfully Diggle is able to pull the emergency break just in time. Their entrance to the station may have been less than elegant, but at least they all survived. Now, Ollie may finally have a chance to meet face to face with his old CFO Broderick for the first time since his betrayals came to light.
Unforgettable Moment: For all of Ollie’s well honed fighting skills, he still needs to be bailed out every now and again—and in this case, that bailout comes in the form of Dinah Lance on a motorcycle. Sometimes, Ollie’s more than happy to be the damsel in distress for a change.
Batman #11
By Tom King, Mikel Janin and June Chung
Bruce’s plan to infiltrate Santa Prisca continues with his team divided off into groups. Punch, Jewelee and Bronze Tiger walk through the front door to provide a diversion by pretending to have been captured by Tiger as Bruce sneaks in through the ventilation system. Meanwhile, Selina and Albert do their own sneaking…but Selina soon makes it clear that she is less than interested in following Batman’s script. She promptly blows her own cover and executes both Punch and Jewelee in Bane’s throne room, blowing both Bronze Tiger’s cover and Batman’s position in the process. Selina, it would seem, is far more interested in seeking Bane’s help for her own gain—she needs to disappear or the death penalty is waiting for her back in Gotham—than she ever was in helping Batman find the Pirate.
Unforgettable Moment: Out of the fighters and villains in Batman’s makeshift suicide squad, one person stands out as an anomaly: The Ventriloquist. Albert Wesker is the only person in the bunch who has no immediate skills, no physical capabilities and no special powers, and yet, Batman explains, “without Wesker, no one gets out of here alive.”
Justice League #9
By Bryan Hitch, Neil Edwards, Daniel Henriques and Tony Aviña
Simon’s ring has been infected by the same malevolent hacking that offlined and nearly crashed both Vic and the Justice League’s satellite headquarters, which is a problem for a number of reasons, not the least of which being an explosion of deadly and virtually unstoppable Green Lantern constructs now targeting each League member outside of Simon’s control. Luckily for the League, Barry Allen is quick on his feet in more ways than one, and engineers a plan to overload the ring and “reset” it to clear the hack. Meanwhile, with the Batcave back under his control, Bruce and Alfred set to work on tracing the source of the bug that infected their systems... And it looks like the point of origin may be closer to home than any of them would have realized.
Unforgettable Moment: Batman zeroes in on some suspicions that the malicious code could potentially be coming from a recent widower; a hacker named James Palmer, aka “Jesse James.” It’s likely that the death of James’ wife drove him to lash out…but on this scale? And with this level of sophistication? It’s likely there’s more at play here than just a grudge.
Nightwing #9
By Tim Seeley, Marcio Takara and Marcello Maiolo
Dick Grayson has been struggling with nightmares, and the more he tries to struggle through them, the worse they seem to get. And, it turns out, that’s for good reason—Superman, who has been monitoring anomalies caused by Dr. Destiny has located one happening inside Dick’s brain. Now it’s up to Clark and Dick to enter Dick’s mind and track down the manifestation of Destiny, which will ideally lead them to Destiny’s physical form. It’s not easy, but with a little help from the memories Dick has of his friends, he and Superman are able to overwhelm Dr. Destiny’s magical manifestation and track down the warehouse where none other than Kobra had been keeping and siphoning power from the villain’s body.
Unforgettable Moment: During the trip through his subconscious, Dick is able to shake loose some strange new memories of a place that is familiar but totally new at the same time: the city of Bludhaven, which Clark explains is the place the Nightwing of his world called home for many years. And he’s right! Dick moved to Bludhaven almost full time in 1996, where he lived and worked until its destruction during INFINITE CRISIS.
Superman #11
By Peter J. Tomasi, Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray, Mark Morales, Christian Alamy and John Kalisz
Jon and Damian find themselves on a snowy mountain where they’re expected to climb to the top and retrieve their boots and costumes. They’re then attacked by Nobody, who explains that their fathers have put them in a series of tests to see how the two boys work together. If they succeed, they’ll get their capes back. Damian gets the two out of the attack by Nobody and then tries to break away on his own for the next challenge, but Jon follows close behind. Goliath surprises them with an ambush. Alfred, Batman and Superman watch on, where Alfred demands Superman interject and help the boys, but Batman tells Superman to stand down. Jon figures out a way to use Goliath to help him and Damian escape. The boys failed the last test and the exercise as a whole—having never worked together to get past a challenge. Back in the Batcave, Batman has one more test up his sleeve—unleashing a monster composed of synthesized compounds from some of his most dangerous villains. The boys finally come together as a team and defeat the monster and “rescue” Batman, Superman and Alfred. Later, the boys and their fathers head out to cut down a Christmas tree, where Jon and Damian get into a fight. Looks like they still have a lot to work on if they’re to become the heroes their fathers know they can be.
Unforgettable Moment: The monster that Bruce created from the synthesized compounds of some of the coolest Batman villains is awesome!
Aquaman #11
By Dan Abnett, Phillippe Briones and Gabe Eltaeb
A crowd of people and reporters stand outside the hospital as a news anchor recaps the battle between Aquaman and the Shaggy Man. Mera and Joanna arrive to visit Aquaman at the hospital and are quickly swarmed by the crowd. Mera makes it in to meet with a badly beaten Aquaman in his room, where the two discuss the Widowhood and marriage. They are interrupted by a visit from the Justice League, who reaffirm to Aquaman that he is a trusted and valued member. Elsewhere, Black Manta and Black Jack discuss their next plan of action: The Vortex—framing Atlantis for a second attack on the surface world. Back in Atlantis, Joanna explains to Aquaman that her father was a member of N.E.M.O. and that they’ve been framing Atlantis to look like an aggressor for years. Agent Irving and Ajar contact Aquaman and send him the information they gained from looking into Scavenger’s contacts, but it’s quickly interrupted by some horrifying news: The Deluge has unleashed an attack on America in the name of Atlantis.
Unforgettable Moment: Whoa! Aquaman’s face was seriously messed up in that fight with the Shaggy Man. He really did put it all on the line!
Green Lanterns #11
By Sam Humphries, Robson Rocha, Jay Leisten, Cam Smith and Blond
Frank uses his phantom power ring to travel the world as a Green Lantern. Keeping Rami imprisoned in his apartment, Volthoom instructs Frank to prove to everyone he’s a hero. Frank takes his direction and rescues a boy and his dog from a tornado. Meanwhile, Simon and Jessica question Nazir about what happened with Rami and the Phantom Ring. Nazir is unable to provide any information, causing Jessica to use her ring to track down the Phantom Ring by searching for any significant aberrations in the emotional spectrum. Her ring locates the Phantom Ring and the two Green Lanterns track down Frank, who is being interviewed for his heroics. Simon and Jessica tell the reporter that Frank is to not be trusted. The three then argue, causing Simon and Jessica to look bad as the newsfeed is broadcasted live. Jessica tells Frank the greatest man to ever wear the Green Lantern ring was Hal Jordan—causing Frank to become outraged. He claims no one will take his power as the Phantom Ring begins to change his body. Simon and Jessica rescue everyone before Frank blows up the surrounding area. Frank rises from the flames and smoke as an Orange Lantern.
Unforgettable Moment: Frank becoming an Orange Lantern was pretty dramatic!
Cyborg #5
By John Semper Jr, Allan Jefferson, Derec Donovan, Scott Hanna and Guy Major
Vic may be free of the nightmare he had been imprisoned in by Malware, but his problems have no real end in sight. After all, punching bad guys so rarely can solve questions about your own soul and the nature of your own humanity. There’s also the matter of the imposter Dr. Stone who has so far gone unnoticed by both his coworkers at S.T.A.R Labs and his own son. The real Dr. Stone is being held hostage by a terrifying mechanical creature who admits to working under someone—or something—that he is not able to name. As a prisoner, Dr. Stone is forced to watch video feeds through his mechanical doppelganger's eyes, powerless to intervene even as major, potentially life threatening decisions are made by and for Vic himself. Decisions like saving the life of a mortally wounded intelligence agent named Scarlett Taylor by attempting to recreate the same process Stone used to save Vic all those years ago with the Mother Box he now holds within him.
Unforgettable Moment: Vic reconnects with Blue, the blind jazz musician he met not too long ago for a little rest and relaxation after his ordeal with Malware. However, his time spent really just serves to make him realize that though he may have heightened senses compared to Blue’s blindness, there’s still a whole lot about his community and his neighborhood that he’s just never been able to see. It would seem that even with the internet literally streaming into his brain 24/7, Vic still has a lot to learn.
Harley Quinn #8
By Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Chad Hardin, Andrew Robinson, Brett Blevins and Hi-Fi
After dealing with zombies, international mafias and punk rock superhero role-players, it’s high time that Harley took a little “me time”—and what better way to do that than by taking a weeklong vacation with her best friend, Pamela Isley. The ladies book themselves a flight to the Bahamas where they stay at a resort called The Colony. Unfortunately for them, no one warned them that it’s a “colony” in the literal sense—a nudist colony. Luckily, both Pam and Harley are pretty adaptable and, all things considered, their vacation is exactly what they needed. Unfortunately, even a week of bonding isn’t enough to convince Pam to move in with Harley, no matter how desperately she may want to. Pam’s loyalty has to be to her mission to save the earth, first and foremost. No matter what her personal feelings may be. It’s something Harley can understand, sure, but that doesn’t really make it hurt any less to see Pam leave when their vacation comes to an end.
Unforgettable Moment: Ivy’s position as a villain has always been debatable, and something she articulates eloquently to Harley as she explains why she can’t actually move in with her: Ivy’s needs come second to saving the planet...something she’s prepared to do, no matter the cost.
The Flintstones #5
By Mark Russell, Steve Pugh and Chris Chuckry
It’s Election Day in Bedrock where the current Mayor is running against the brute, Clod the Destroyer. Fred and Barney reflect on the past and how they came to sign up for the war against the Tree People. Fred was eager to join, but Barney was unsure. After hearing Wilma and Betty talking about Barney’s inability to give Betty a child due to a medical condition, Barney decides to join up. Back in the present, Bedrock Middle School holds its Student President election, where the school bully is running away with the votes—strong-arming students by threatening them. Fred and Barney think back to their days of basic training and their first encounter with the Tree People. The student election tightens and just before the bully seizes power, Pebbles stands up to his scare tactics and the other students vote her in, leaving Bamm-Bamm to remove the bully from the stage. Meanwhile, Fred recalls a battle with the Tree People where he and his fellow soldiers learned they had been lied to—the Tree People weren’t a threat to them, they were just living their lives until the Bedrock soldiers came in and wiped them out in order to take their land to build Bedrock. In the chaos of battle, Barney found a baby and brought it back to be raised by him and Betty. That baby would grow up to be Bamm-Bamm. Back in the present, Clod the Destroyer wins the Mayoral election.
Unforgettable Moment: Heartwarming story of how Bamm-Bamm came to be.
We'll be back in a week with another set of Reader Recaps. Also, don't miss our weekly new comic book unboxing every Tuesday on Periscope for an exclusive preview of the week's new comics!
