(UPDATE!) DC Comics Announces BATMAN, TEEN TITANS and ANIMAL MAN Annuals for May

DC Comics has announced some big ol’ 48-page annual issues for the month of May. And girrrrrl, if they don’t promise some giant-sized goodness for some of the New 52’s best and burliest.

First up, the casts of Legion Lost and The Ravagers co-star in Scott Lobdell and Brett Booth’s Teen Titans Annual #1. It’s the centerpiece of a crossover with several of DC’s teen hero books. The link, of course, is the enigmatic N.O.W.H.E.R.E. organization responsible for the Superboy experiment and host to “hundreds” of captive teenage heroes. To read the full story, you’ll want to pick up: Teen Titans Annual #1, Superboy #9, Legion Lost #9, Teen Titans #9 and The Ravagers #1.

The angst’ll be so thick you can cut it with a carefully aimed optic blast.

Next, the highly anticipated union of Buddy Baker and Alec Holland is just around the corner in Jeff Lemire and Timothy Green II’s Animal Man Annual #1. We don’t know if the champions of flora and fauna team up in the pages of this story, but they’re at least tag team partners on the terrific Travel Foreman cover. Lemire does reveal that artist Timothy Green II gets a chance to draw Swampy in some form though.

“I saw it as a great chance to expand upon the mythology of The Red, The Green and The Rot, but also to tell a satisfying story that can stand on it’s own as well.

“In many ways this Annual is like a prequel to the crossover storyline that Scott Snyder and I have planned for ANIMAL MAN and SWAMP THING. But the best part is that I get to work with Timothy Green II. I’ve been a fan of Timothy’s since I first saw his work a few years back and I was really excited when Joey told me he would be drawing the Annual. I’ve seen the first few pages of art and man, is it gorgeous. He draws a great Swamp Thing and an even better Maxine!”

 

UPDATE: Also slated for May, Mr. Freeze makes his new DCU debut with Batman Annual #1. As you can see, the owls are still circling. What kind of history does Freeze share with the Court of Owls? And what do they have planned for Gotham come the Night of the Owls?

Batman Annual #1 will be written by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV (his collaborator on the upcoming Court of Owls backup) with art by Jay Fabok. Here’s his chilling cover:

 

For more on these May annuals, head over to DC’s Source Blog.

 

Comments

  1. Avatar photo Paul Montgomery (@fuzzytypewriter) says:

    Travel Foreman does an AMAZING Swamp Thing.

  2. I think Foreman draws the best/scariest monsters outside of Berserk. I haven’t read that many ‘horror’ comics though.

  3. Christ almighty, I hate the Teen Titans Tron outfits on everyone expect Superboy.

  4. “The angst’ll be so thick you can cut it with a carefully aimed optic blast.”

    Wrong company

  5. More Lemire and Animal. Yes please.

  6. I’m very curious if these annuals are going to hit on May’s fifth week. They should, as the New 52 has skipped the first two fifth weeks. Retalors would certainly like to get DC readers in that week.

    • Agreed. It would be a major misstep if they let marvel go unopposed in another 5th week. Good pickup though.

    • Isn’t the Teen Titans Annual actually part 1 of the Legion Lost/Teen Titans/Superboy crossover? If it is then it probably won’t be a week 5 book. Batman and Animal Man Annuals would fit fine though.

  7. Looks like DC may be limiting Annuals for crossovers (hopefully). I just hope the prices are reasonable

  8. Never heard of Jay Fabok, but just from that cover I’m an instafan.

  9. I know people bash him, but Brett Booth is pretty damn good.

  10. What’s with all the numerals after artist names? Are all comic artists members of long single name lineages?

  11. Annuals? What? No point one issues?

  12. I have been waiting for the day that Timothy Green II would move to DC! We almost have the entire art team from Ironfist, just missing Aja.

  13. I know this is kind of an off topic question but… how do they typically collect back up stories?

  14. Not sure how I feel about Greg Capullo NOT doing the Batman annual….but man I want to see Snyder’s take on Mr. Freeze so badly I don’t care who draws it.

  15. I stopped reading Superboy at the end of issue #2, been meaning to get caught up. I stopped reading Teen Titans at the end of #1 and can’t bring myself to pick up 2-5. I love, absolutely love the entire cast of Legion Lost, but with the writer change, I need to find an excuse to cut a book from my pull list, and sadly it’s either Lost or the Legion proper, which I can’t drop because it’s actually exciting to read, unlike the entire last volume in 2010 that Levitz wrote. Why is there so much convoluted back story for the Legion? No wonder they can’t get new fans.

    On a more positive note, Travel Foreman and Yanick Paquette need to rotate drawing eachothers books. I would love a creepy rot breakdown in Animal Man, and a pulp and shaded Swamp Thing. That Animal Man Annual cover is gorgeous!

  16. Nice, I like annuals, a stand alone story, maybe a continuity tie in and some guest star collaborators. As we all know annuals are hit or miss but know if a few I really enjoyed.

  17. Yeah Mister Freeze! 😀 He’s one of my favorite Batman villains!

  18. Wow does that Batman cover look awesome. Can’t wait for that!

  19. Sorry, i’m kind of a noob. what is an annual? i know annual means something thats yearly, but pertaining to comics?