ND 12-2022

HUMANITY FIRST #3
Plot by EXCITER
Written by ROBERT KIRKMAN
Art by FRANK CHO
Suggested Music: Iced Earth - "Motivation of Man"
“JUSTICE DELAYED”
Under Vandal Savage’s guidance, humanity is poised to become the dominant species in the Universe. Using Warworld and technology stolen from occupied Oa, as well as the unique skills of the metahumans of W.O.A.H., Savage has already exterminated the Circadians for daring to defy him (see THE FLASH #40). What alien world is next?
The human Green Lanterns, cut off from their power source, nonetheless refuse to relinquish their planetary headquarters! Hal Jordan and John Stewart, now wielding yellow power rings, assemble a team unlike any other dedicated to liberating Oa! Some members you’d expect. Others are surprising additions…
Superman, the last son of Krypton. Wonder Woman, ascendant Amazonian. Batman, the dark knight. Aquaman, champion-in-exile of Atlantis. The Flash, fastest man alive. Martian Manhunter, hero of the Red Planet. Hawkman and Hawkwoman, Thanagarian law enforcement. Black Adam, magical ruler of Khandaq. Lobo, the main man and last Czarnian. Star Sapphire, vengeful mistress of love. And Doomsday, unstoppable monster now in control thanks to the Willpower Virus.
This League, and those who follow it, set out to do the impossible: liberate Oa and show the universe that real humanity doesn’t seek to dominate the stars… it just seeks Justice!
But can even this force stand up to Savage, who has unlocked the secret to equipping his minions with Green Lantern rings?
32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99
AQUAMAN #26 *Humanity First Tie-In*
Plot by EXCITER
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by JIM LEE
“SPACE SPLASH”
Having fought to a stalemate against the robotic Manhunters on Mars, Aquaman and Martian Manhunter answer the call of the “Yellow Lanterns” to help liberate Oa. As part of the Justice League, the pair once famously combined their abilities to defeat a seemingly unbeatable Starro (see STARRO WARS #4) - can they turn the tides in another event?
This time, though, they’ve got an unexpected ally: Black Adam, the powerhouse who conspired against Arthur Curry for two years (since Aquaman #3!) and who recently took his nation of Khandaq to war against Atlantis. Wait, this guy is on the Justice League?
Black Adam realizes now that he was goaded into the war by Vandal Savage (see Aquaman #18). Savage used the war to pressure King Orm the Ocean Master into joining his illuminati, “the Light,” and once that was accomplished promptly betrayed Black Adam and helped Orm and Atlantis win the war - leaving Khandaq a smoldering ruin (see Aquaman #23 & 25). Black Adam seeks to avenge his people… but, given their history, can he and Aquaman possibly work together?
Worse still, Orm has built several Atlantean outposts on occupied Oa - creating a stranglehold on the planet’s natural and artificial waterways. Is Arthur willing to fight his own brother and king, Orm? To fight his own people? Will they ever accept him in Atlantis again if he does?
And what’s Crablad doing on Oa? Can he even fit a ring on his pincers?!
32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99
BAT-WING #41
Writer: Malcolm Jones
Artist: Dexter Soy
Plotter: Marvell2100
“INTO THE LIONS' DEN: PART IV”
Burendia!: The arrival of Grifter, Bronze Tiger and John Diggle has given Bat-Wing the chance he needs to break free from the Red Lion and rescue Kia and the others! But they're going to have to fight their way thru the Burendia's elite Obsidian Guard if they want to make it out alive! David leads the way, clearing a path for the rest to follow. He looks behind him and sees a swarm of soldier surrounding Grifter, Diggle and the Bronze Tiger as they battle the Red Lion. He can't help but think that they sacrificed themselves so that he and the others can escape! But Kia tells him that they aren't going anywhere! They are going to stay and help take down Matthew Bland once and for all!
32 PGS./Rated T+...$3.99
DEADLY HANDS OF CONNOR HAWKE #41
Plotter: MARVELL2100
Writer: JEFF LEMIRE
Artist: ANDREA SORRENTINO
“CHILDREN OF A LESSER GUILD: PART IV”
Connor has just been given an ultimatum by his estranged mother and The Magus: Help them kill Richard Dragon and takeover The Guild or they will kill his girlfriend Avila! Why would his mother do this after they just found each other? Faced with no choice, he reluctantly agrees however he wants them to leave Avila behind. But Tasha al Ghul tells him that Avila is coming with them and if he even thinks about not following thru that she will kill her on the spot!
The Magus tells them to get moving, they have a long journey ahead of them. As they walk together, Connor tells Avila that he's sorry for getting her involved in this and that he had no idea that his own mother would be so ruthless. She tells him that he couldn't have known and that things will be alright. Connor thinks how will thinks be okay? He found his mother who turns out to be a heartless murderer and now they have to go back to the place where the only thing that is waiting for them is certain death!
32 PGS./Rated T+...$3.99
DETECTIVE COMICS #30 *Humanity First Tie-In*
Plot by EXCITER
Written by MARK MILLAR
Art by JOHN ROMITA, JR.
“HOLY HUMANITY, BATMAN!”
For years, Bruce Wayne suspected there was a conspiracy afoot within the multi-billionaire crowd that could be traced back to old money. That’s old money, as in the Blood Tribe of cavemen from the Paleolithic era old. But after being attacked during his recent “vacation” to Blüdhaven, and the reporting of the Central City Citizen, Wayne realizes that he was too slow to take action against “the Light” and its leader, Vandal Savage. Now the safety of the very universe hangs in the balance…
Joined with the Justice League, a mere mortal fighting alongside gods, Batman’s mission becomes one of stealth and infiltration. A frontal assault on the Warworld would be folly, but can the Batman sneak beyond its outer defenses and find the control center within the planetoid-sized super-weapon?
And if he can, is it possible to wrest the keys away from the immortal arch-villain behind Humanity First? It’s Batman versus Vandal Savage himself!
And what role will Vandal’s daughter, Scandal Savage, play in the battle?
32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99
THE FLASH #41 *Humanity First Tie-In*
Plot by EXCITER
Written by ROBERT KIRKMAN
Art by FRANK CHO
“A TIME OR TWO”
The Flash sees that Vandal Savage is a self-made man in the truest sense: he’s using this event to steal life-force from alien planets and sending it to himself in the distant past, facilitating his own immortal origin! Well, not if Flash can help it! The scarlet speedster is determined to travel back in time, stop Savage from becoming immortal, and break the time loop once and for all - but Reverse-Flash won’t let him!
After several rounds of fast and furious fisticuffs, Eobard gets Barry to slow down… with words. You see, he warns, if Barry does break that time loop and stops Vandal Savage from becoming immortal… then he’s sentencing humanity to complete and utter extinction several times over! And if Barry will listen, he can prove it.
Thawne runs with Barry into several timelines where Barry’s plan succeeds - and the Flash sees the evidence before his very eyes. Desolation. Destruction. Death. Without Savage, there are no metahumans, who have saved the world countless times (see almost all of NEXT DAWN). Moreover, the Earth is left without a viscous, amoral defender that fought against a litany of invasions and incursions over the course of 500,000 years. His methods may have been brutal, but his results were undeniable. Humanity might not even have defeated the Neanderthals to become Earth’s dominant species without Savage’s guiding hand!
Thus, the Flash is confronted with a harsh and painful truth: for humanity to live, he must let Vandal Savage win!
32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99
GREEN LANTERN #41 *Humanity First Tie-In*
Plot by EXCITER
Written by MARK MILLAR
Art by JOE MADUREIRA
“GOING BACK TO THE OFFICE”
Vandal Savage and his forces killed their friends, occupied their HQ planet, and stole their greatest weapons… but the Green Lantern Corpsmen of Earth are about to show Savage that, despite all that, he still must BEWARE THEIR POWER!
Using yellow rings on loan from unlikely ally Sinestro, Hal Jordan and John Stewart lead the freshly assembled Justice League! But with mighty foes like Count Vertigo and Technocrat now themselves further empowered by green rings - stolen green rings that are being funneled energy from the Parasite, who has firmly attached himself to the all-you-can-eat buffet that is the Central Battery on Oa - are Hal and John about to be hoisted by their own petard? Or can they pull the Parasite from their sacred Battery like the big, fat, metahuman tick that he is?
Meanwhile, Guy Gardner and Jessica Cruz take the fight directly to Manhunter Highmaster! The master mold of robotic Manhunters has found a seat on Warworld where it continuously pumps out legions of automaton soldiers. If Guy and Jess can’t destroy the Highmaster and stem the supply of Manhunters, then not even the Justice League can prevail! Will the unpredictable Star Sapphire help them?
32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99
HAWKGRRL, AGENT OF CHECKMATE# #4 *Humanity First Tie-In*
Written by TOM KING
Art by TULA LOTAY
Plot by CAPTCLEGHORN
“THE PRIORITIZATION HAP”
A team of heroes is travelling to OA in order to liberate the planet. The interplanetary assault from Earth is developing doubters as the force behind it is Vandal Savage. Thal Chayera has decided to join the force leaving Earth to help OA, a planet with a “stellar” reputation. But, Checkmate# and Amanda Waller have a different plan for Thal. Earth is still a hotbed of xenophobia and has a considerable number of parties out to eradicate anyone from Earth who was not born there.
Hawkgrrl’s mission is to investigate and weed out some of these parties. Terra Man, captured last issue is in Checkmate# custody and is being questioned to find out how heavy his connection is to CAW (Collective Assistance for Worlds). CAW has learned of some of the alien inhabitants, some of whom are refugees and has used clandestine methods to get some of Earth’s terran supremists to wipe them out.
First up on Hawkgrrl’s rescue agenda, a family of shape shifting Durlans. Because Durlans are quite adept at using their natural ability to change shape. But it’s not them Hawkgrrl needs to protect, it’s the idiots out to kill them.
32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99
HUMANITY FIRST: AGENTS OF W.O.A.H. #3
Plot by EXCITER
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by ED McGUINNESS
“NO JUSTICE, JUST US”
The agents of W.O.A.H. face their greatest challenge yet: the Justice League! Under instruction that the League is being manipulated by dangerous and inhuman aliens, W.O.A.H. must make a stand to defend their hard-fought acquisition of Oa. Taking it was hard, but keeping it will be harder!
Ethan Avery is the leader of W.O.A.H.’s “Brick” Division: he leads the strongest, the toughest, the biggest metahuman powerhouses that mankind has to offer. He started out as a simple soldier that enlisted in the “Damage” program upon the promise that he’d be made into someone capable of putting down a Doomsday during the destructive Doomsday Virus outbreak (see GREEN LANTERN #26). Now, he gets to try his hand at putting down the original, a bloodthirsty monster whom the League has inexplicably allied with. There’s just one problem: Ethan's Damage transformation only lasts one hour a day. One hour to kill the unkillable…
Meanwhile, Cheetah leads her “Feral” Division of animal-powered metas and Killer Frost leads the “Elemental” Division. Along with the Blaster and Brain Divisions, can they hold the line?
And just where has the Speedster Division gone?
32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99
HUMANITY FIRST: CENTRAL CITY CITIZEN #3
Plot by EXCITER
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Art by JAE LEE
“PART THREE: MASS MANIPULATION”
Iris West continues to publish her exposé of Vandal Savage while a cadre of unlikely defenders - including Gorilla Grodd, Captain Cold, and Governor Harvey Debt - struggle to keep her alive!
In “Part Three: Mass Manipulation,” Iris outlines in detail how Vandal manipulated the leaders of the United Nations into becoming his pawns. Among other misdeeds, he targeted J’onn J’onzz, who was admirably fulfilling his duties as Director of U.S. Homeland Security and even successfully defended the nation from Starro, and outed him as a Martian - having the media paint J’onzz’s actions as an alien infiltration meant to undermine humanity’s safety (see THE FLASH #21). Savage then orchestrated an international incident with the help of Queen Bee of Bialya, hiring the alien bounty hunter Lobo to eliminate the King and Queen of Markovia under the false pretense that they were despots who oppressed their people and needlessly slaughtered endangered space dolphins (see THE FLASH #29). Their son, Brion Markov a.k.a. Geo-Force, defeated Lobo with the help of the Flash, in the process allowing Savage to claim two victories: (1) establishing metahumans in the press as a heroic bulwark against alien threats and (2) elevating a hero into the first metahuman head of state in modern history (see THE FLASH #30). This positive press for metahumans enabled Savage to cajole the United Nations into enthusiastically sponsoring the World Organization for Advancement of Humanity (W.O.A.H.), a purported peacekeeping force which Savage could use to recruit and activate scores of potential metahumans, most of whom he identified through a backdoor in Stagg Enterprises’ human confirmation test (see GREEN LANTERN #30, FLASH #30-31). Thus, he amassed a powerful, popular army that could operate under a veil of legitimacy!
This news enrages Geo-Force, who immediately has Markovia withdraw support from W.O.A.H., with many other nations following the popular leader’s example.
Has Iris dispelled Savage’s myth and broken his hold over Earth’s governments?
And can Geo-Force claim his revenge?
32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99
HUMANITY FIRST: “FOUR WINGS AND A RING” #3 (of 4)
Written by N.K. Jemisin (Far Sector)
Art by Liam Sharp (The Green Lantern)
Plot by CaptCleghorn
Byth Rok, former supervisory officer in the Thanagarian wing force was behind the attempted attack on Earth. He faces his former subordinates Katar Hol and Shayera Thal, along with Green Lantern Rayn Kral. Expecting a typical Thanagarian, the three are surprised when Rok shows super abilities in mimicking the abilities of life forms from all over the galaxy.
How did Rok get these abilities? Were they bestowed upon him by CAW (Collective Assistance of Worlds), or were they the result of some other mysterious, nefarious action
Also up in the air is the amount of acceptance the Thanagarian government had for the weapon aimed at Earth. Are our three heroes rebelling against their homeworld to save the planet who is threatening galactic domination? Or are they making a true moral stand?
32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99
HUMANITY FIRST: OUR FIGHTING FORCES #3
As Vandal Savage pursues his agenda to put Humanity First, Next Dawn proudly presents an anthology of must-read stories from the event!
“THE HAUNTED STARSHIP”
Plot by EXCITER
Written by CHUCK DIXON
Art by RYAN OTTLEY
General J.E.B. Stuart’s ghost was separated from his body during the Civil War by a speedster employed by Vandal Savage (see THE FLASH #18). Subsequently, that ghost bonded to a tank, through which J.E.B. helped his descendant fight Nazis in World War II. Now, however, J.E.B. finds himself manifesting on a very different battlefield in a very different vehicle: a Green Lantern Corps Interceptor-Class Starship! And this heavy-armed space vessel, it seems, has been hijacked by forces loyal to that good-fer-nothin’ ninnymuggin that made him a ghost in the first place: Vandal Savage! Can J.E.B. successfully haunt the vessel enough to turn it from a battle asset to an enemy combatant and, perhaps, finally find eternal rest?
“FRAGMANITY FIRST”
Plot by EXCITER
Written by CHRISTOPHER YOST
Art by JONBOY MEYERS
You ever frag some royal cheesesuckers because a bastich paid you and told you they were tyrannical despots who grind up sweet, defenseless space dolphins with tuna salad as their chief national export, only to find out later that those cheesesuckers never even touched a single space dolphin? Yeah, we’ve all been there, right?
This caveman feeb Vandal Savage set me up and got me tossed in a fraggin’ speciality prison for aliens on Earth. Grub sucked. Luckily, my boy Fishstick broke me and Marty Manchild out (that’s when Aquaman liberated Martian Manhunter from prison, and accidentally let Lobo out too in AQUAMAN #22). Now it’s payback time! Sure, the Green Lanterns hassled me in the past, but I always had my paperwork in order. They weren’t so bad - certainly better than letting Captain Caveman take over and jack all their gear. So, I’m part of the Justice League now! Feel good story of the year.
But nobody told me these W.O.A.H. clowns had a metahuman that could turn off my healing factor…
“JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE RING” part two
Written by Grant Morrison
Plot by CaptCleghorn
Art by Frank Quitely
Rhonda Pineda, known as Atomika, is inside a Green Lantern ring at sub-atomic size experiencing the force powering the ring in very unusual forms. Can she control or thwart this force in order to help Earth achieve its dominance over the universe? Or will the ring win her over to OA’s side?
Rhonda faces the spirit within the ring, a carefully designed counterbalance to a particular ring’s wearer. Can her scientific mind deal with what seems to be an example of alien AI? And when it starts learning about her faster than she can deal with it, can she even survive, never mind finding a way to defend against the ring’s energies?
64 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99
MAN OF BRONZE #15
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Philip Tan
Plotter: Marvell2100
“CATCH A TIGER BY THE TAIL!”
Ben, Grifter and John Diggle arrive just in time to stop Matthew Bland, aka The Red Lion from killing the vigilante Bat-Wing and the rest of the agents from The Congo! Ben tells Diggle and Grifter to go help the others to safety, he's going take care of Bland once and for all! Diggle grabs Ben and tells him that they all need to stick together and get out of Burendia while they have a chance! It's the only way they can make it out alive! Ben stares at Diggle and knocks his hand away! He looks at Diggle with steel in his eyes and tells him don't worry, once he's done with Bland, he'll kill him next for betraying his former team and leaving them here to rot! Diggle looks and sees that there is no trace of Ben right now, The Bronze Tiger has taken over. He has blood in his eyes and the only thing that will satisfy him is death!
32 PGS./Rated T+...$3.99
THE QUESTION #41
Writer: MARK RUSSELL
Artist: BILL SIENKIEWICZ
Plotter: CaptCleghorn
“What Reason Do You Need to Die?”
At 8:17 am, a maroon pick-up truck drove by a Hub City middle school while two people in the back fired automatic weapons into the crowd of students getting off busses and entering the building. As of noon, the death toll was at 34 and expected to increase. Suspects were still at large. Mayor Roland Desmond and Police Commissioner Ellen Yin both use their personal contacts to hunt down the shooters.
Vic, Tot, Merry and Alice are in full detective mode looking for clues and hunting down the suspects. A clue links the truck To Hub City University and our crew is approached by a blond vigilante known as Pagan, formerly of Gotham City. Her help is needed, but her methods are beyond what our heroes are comfortable with. But how far would they go to find the perpetrator?
The issue ends with a gun pointed at the head of one of the shooter, a fifteen year old boy. Who’s holding the gun, and do they fire?
32 PGS./ Rated M for Mature Readers...$2.99
SENSATION COMICS #30
Written and Illustrated by ZOE THOROGOOD
Plot by H-E-D
MAN’S WORLDS, PART ONE
“My Enemy”
Years ago (don’t ask how many), Diana left her home on Thymescira to explore and protect the world of men.
But now she finds herself protecting the universe FROM the men of the world!
Returning from the bizarro-world of Eros, as seen in SENSATION COMICS # 27-28, the CELESTIAL WONDER WOMAN finds that Vandal Savage has led Earth to war against the cosmos.
What’s more… he’s winning!
Diana travels by starlight, further and deeper into outer space than she’s ever been.
She receives a distress call from a superheroic acquaintance… John Stewart, the Green Lantern!
But before she can join John’s Justice League, (see HUMANITY FIRST #3 for that adventure!) she faces a crisis on the planet Staryl!
Orbiting a binary pair of orange and blue suns, the pseudo-Kryptonian Starylese only have superpowers for a few hours a day…
But the metabumans of WOAH and the Manhunters have no such limits!
Wonder Woman will not abandon these innocents in their hour of need, especially not when she learns that these Manhunters are being lead by a surprisingly familiar enemy: the CYBERNARY!
32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99
UNCANNY G-MEN #11
Written by KIERON GILLEN
Plot by H-E-D
Art by VALERIO SCHITI
“ENTER THE RUNAWAY”
Cynthia shows up on the Professor’s doorstep... but a rejuvenated Hans Leckter has a hard time believing its where his adopted daughter wants to be!
Hiram Gaunt, the Professor G, normally wouldn’t hesitate to help a young Gen-Active… but he and Hans Leckter used to be a couple. It feels like a conflict of interest.
But there’s one G-Man who isn’t conflicted!
Ori Nolan, aka the Full Copper Man, feels an immediate connection to Runaway. After all, he knows all too well the courage it takes to make a break with those who raised you!
If the Extremists want to take Cynthia, they’ll have to go through him!
Meanwhile, Runaway isn’t the only refugee at the mansion. Who is Professor G’s enchanting new lady friend, Hyanthis?
32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99
UNCANNY G-MEN: HUMANITY FIRST #3
(LGY: UNCANNY G-MEN #12)
Written by KIERON GILLEN
Plot by H-E-D
Art by JAMAL CAMPBELL
Threatened by the bizarre AVIAX!
Turns out the Professor’s new girlfriend, Hyanthis, is actually Hyanthis Samoth-Valkyr, Empress in Exile of the Thanagarian Empire!
Her brother, the nefarious “Shadowlord” Tros Samoth, has seized the throne with the help of their sister, Sh’ri Valkyr, better known as Darkwing!
Krandor Vat, the High Mor of Thanagar, was barely able to smuggle Hyanthis to safety on Earth! But now, the enigmatic Aviax, field name of agent Orin Tho!
…this is a lot of proper nouns to throw at you all at once, isn’t it?
Well, just imagine how it must be for the G-Men!
Imagine managing the headache you got from reading about these Space Birds while having to fight a man, dressed in what seems to be bondage gear, who shape shifts into various birds and dinosaurs!
[Writer’s note: If anybody is wondering what the venom is about, you try sifting through encyclopedias about Hawkman politics without getting frustrated!]
32 PGs./Rated T+ …$2.99
NEXT DAWN HOLIDAY SPECIAL #4!
An anthology of non-stop holiday cheer!
“TREE TOPPER”
Plot by EXCITER
Written by MARK MILLAR
Art by JOE MADUREIRA
No Christmas Tree is complete without a star on the top. But on top of the tree at the North Pole, that’s not a star… it’s a Starro! Santa’s Workshop is being taken over by a sentient alien starfish whose goal is to deliver a mind-controlling spore to every child! The elves, the reindeer, even Santa himself have been possessed. Can the only hero in the region, lone prospector Yukon Cornelius, drive his pickaxe through Starro’s eye and save the Holiday?
“BLACKEST FRIDAY”
Plot by EXCITER
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by ED McGUINNESS
The Orange Lantern Larfleeze slings a ring powered by greed, and the events of “HUMANITY FIRST” certainly aren’t enough to entice him away from his horde of possessions on planet Okaara… but an odd galactic phenomenon nicknamed “Black Friday” might be. It was supposed to be over, but the Black Friday is now expanding… allowing the acquisition of unnecessary goods at discounted prices. Can Larfleeze make sure this event never ends???
64PGs./Rated T+ …5 Golden Rings
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