New Comics & Collected Editions Releases: DC Comics – June 5 2024

It’s the 23rd new comic book day of the new year! This post covers DC Comics June 5 2024 releases, which actually hit comic stores on Tuesday June 4 2024. Missed last week’s releases? Check out last week’s post covering DC Comics May 29 2024 new releases.

(DC is still releasing their comics on Tuesday until the start of July, but I think most folks think of Wednesday as release day, so that’s how I’m labelling my posts until then.)

This week in DC Comics: DC debuts Compact Comics for Batman & Watchmen, Dawn of DC collections for Hal Jordan & Shazam, climaxes for Zdarsky Batman & GWW Ivy, a My Adventures with Superman cartoon comic and more!

This list includes every comic and digital comic out from DC this week, plus collected editions including omnibus, hardcover, paperback, and digest-sized formats. I recap and review every new single issue. Plus, for every new release, I’ll point you to the right guide within my Crushing Comics Guide to DC Comics to find out how to collect each character in full – and, if a guide is linked from this post, that means it is updated through the present day!

DC Comics June 5 2024 Collected Editions

Barda
(2024 paperback, ISBN 978-1779511133 / digital)
A new out-of-continuity Big Barda graphic novel exploring her origins and relationship to Scott Free from author/illustrator. Ngozi Ukazu.

Batman: The Court of Owls Saga – DC Compact Comics Edition
(2024 smaller-than-digest-size paperback, ISBN 978-1779527271 / digital)
See Guide to Batman. DC’s new Compact Comics are upon us! These are chunky paperbacks that collect 10+ issues of massive hit runs for just $10 in a format that is slightly smaller than “digest” size. It’s a bane for old eyeballs like mine, but a perfect format for newer fans and manga readers! This book collects the first 11 issues of Scott Snyder’s New 52 Batman run, possibly the single best Batman book to hand to someone curious about the character’s in-continuity adventures.

Green Lantern Vol. 1: Back In Action
See Guide to Green Lantern – Hal Jordan. I disliked this opening Hal Jordan arc from Jeremy Adams, Xermánico, Romulo Fajardo Jr., & Dave Sharpe, but not for any deficiency in their craftsmanship. I didn’t like it because it gets Hal Jordan so right, and Hal is my least favorite main character in all of Big Two comics! In fact, you could almost say I loved to hate it, because the level of craft was pretty damned great on every issue.

Adams leans in to writing a Hal Jordan as a man without a ring and with no redeeming qualities other than his willpower. Quarantined to Earth and with no powers or influence left to his name, Hal leans heavily into his privilege to get exactly what he wants – from demanding a job flying test planes to forcing himself into moments alone with Carol Ferris.

Along the way, we really do see how Hal’s willpower makes him one of the most formidable Lanterns. There are moments of this where I feel like we’re on the knife’s edge between Hal Jordan being a “nice guy” who always gets what he wants versus him turning into a full on villain and sexual predator.

For me, that clearly echos his previous downfall as Parallax, which in a way brings this around from being hate-worth back to being intriguing. Is Adams playing these beats deliberately to try to show us how Hal’s willfulness brings him right to the edge of villainy? Or, is Adams writing Hal totally straight, thinking we would all root for him to get everything he wants?

Either way, I think if you are fascinated by Hal Jordan and want to see him tackling a new set of challenges, this book could work for you. And, beneath that, there is a tickle of mystery about why Hal is ringless on Earth and what the Green Lantern Corps are like under new management. Despite my hatred, I’m still reading every month!

Hawkgirl: Once Upon A Galaxy
(2024 paperback, ISBN 978-1779525109 / digital)
This six-issue mini-series from Jadzia Axelrod, Amancay Nahuelpan, Adriano Lucas, & Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou follows Hawkgirl out of the disbanding of the Justice League to a new life (and a mysterious conflict) in Metropolis. This run wrapped up just before I started catching up on DC, but I do love me some Kendra Saunders as Hawkgirl, so I’m excited to read it!

Identity Crisis 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
Identity Crisis addresses sexual assault in an egregious, sensationalized way with DC’s iconic superheroes as a backdrop. I think it is genuinely disturbing that it is being celebrated with an anniversary edition. If you have been a victim of sexual assault or other abuse, support is available. In the US, contact RAINN at 1-800-656-HOPE or visit RAINN.org to chat live with a counselor.

Little Endless Storybook Box Set
(2024 paperback box set, ISBN 978-1779525529)
See Guide to Sandman. Jill Thompson writes and illustrates these adorable all-ages tales of Delirium, which add a charming new dimension to Dream’s sibling in the Endless who was originally modeled after Neil Gaiman’s friend Tori Amos, the founder of RAINN – the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.

Prez: Setting a Dangerous President
(2024 digest-size paperback, ISBN 978-1779528964 / digital)
Satirist writer Mark Russell is having a big year, penning the acclaimed Batman: Dark Age (2024) with Mike & Laura Allred and launching a new X-Factor (2024) run for Marvel as part of X-Men: From the Ashes.

The Prez (2015) mini-series was his first major comics work, coming a full year before his genuinely delightful run on The Flintstones (2016). It follows the exploits of the newly-elected President of The United States of America in 2046, a teenage star of viral social media videos. Russell’s satire felt fresh and prescient here, a year before the 2016 presidential campaign and before Russell established the habit of recycling the same jokes about capitalism in every comic.

Shazam! Vol. 1: Meet the Captain
(2024 paperback, ISBN 978-1779525116 / digital)
See Guide to Shazam – Captain Marvel. This kicks off the 2023 Shazam run from Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Alejandro Sánchez, & Troy Peteri. Waid & Mora launched this title fresh from acclaim on World’s Finest.

Rather than lean into the wide-eyed innocence of the Bronze Age like they did on Finest, this run is about what would happen if Shazam was compelled to be an asshole by the council of mythical gods that grant him his powers. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, and playing with a version of Billy who will be unable to stop himself from being openly cruel every time he turns into The Captain saps a lot of the joy you’d expect from a Shazam comic.

I don’t think this works particularly well for older Shazam fans or for new-to-Shazam readers, unless you are coming directly from the somewhat rude vibe of the films.

Titans Vol. 1: Out of the Shadows
(2024 paperback, ISBN 978-1779525123 / digital)
See Guide to Titans, Teen Titans, & Young Justice. Tom Taylor unites with fellow Australian Nicola Scott along with colorist Annette Kwok and letterer Wes Abbott for a blockbuster relaunch of The Titans out of the rubble left behind by Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths (2022).

This opening run is gorgeous, mysterious, and intensely satisfying as it brings together the classic Titans cast and tees up an iconic villain for them. The only downside to reading this first arc is that you’ll need to read the Beast World event mini-series to get a satisfying conclusion, which is effectively the second arc of this title. But, the upside to that downside is that Beast World is immensely fun and looks incredible!

Watchmen – DC Compact Comics Edition
(2024 smaller-than-deluxe paperback, ISBN 978-1779527325)
See Guide to Watchmen. Of course, as part of the launch of their new Compact Comics line DC is including one of the best-selling superhero comics of all time! Watchmen is an essential read for anyone who loves the storytelling language of superheroes, whether that is in comics or on the screen.

I think absorbing the dense script and art of this book might be a challenge in a smaller-than-digest size, but those are the sentiments of my elderly eyeballs! This is the perfect format to gift to the teen super-fans in your life – but, keep in mind Watchmen is for mature readers.

Read on for a summary of all of the DC Comics June 5 2024 single issues.

DC Comics June 5 2024 Physical Comic Releases

Batman (2016) #148 – See Guide to Batman. This brings a major arc of Chip Zdarsky’s run on this title to a climax and conclusion!

I know fans have been soft on this run, but if there’s a weak point I haven’t reached it yet in my read – which has now dipped into the “Gotham War” story from late in 2023. I am utterly obsessed with what Chip Zdarsky, Jorge Jiménez, Tomeu Morey, & Clayton Cowles bring to Batman. For me, they turn in issue after issue of near-perfection.

I wonder how much that has to do with what the common Batman fan wants from the character versus what I look for. I grow bored when Batman stories are just about him handily solving a series of clues and having all the right gadgets in his belt. Yet, I also get tired of stories that are all about breaking Batman – or Bruce – only to see him climb back up from the bring of defeat.

Even after 80 years and thousands of issues, there has to be some kind of nuanced middle ground with this character where he can make mistakes and grow without him being at his absolute best or absolute worst in every story.

That is where Zdarsky & Co have been so successful on this book for me. The first arc shows that Batman is fallible even in his studied perfection. When he makes several errors in judgment that lead to events that both break him down and cross his personal line of ethics, one of his own failsafe mechanisms emerges and spins out of control. That leads to a delicious arc of fighting that pulls in the entire Bat-Family and the Justice League, and it ends with truly the most absurdly exciting feat of survival I’ve ever seen in a BatBook.

From there, a broken, bloodied Batman has to deal with a multiversal problem. We all know my tolerance for multiverse stories is near zero, but I loved every moment of this clever second movement of the title. Zdarsky used the contrast of multiverse elements to dissect what we know to be true about our Bruce Wayne on an elemental level. He emerged from the experience as a changed character.

To me, that is PEAK BATMAN. You need to see Bruce failing and succeeding in equal measure, and you have to believe the tension between the two actually changes him even if you know those changes won’t be reflected in further titles or future runs. The best Batman run can make you believe that its status quo will live on in Bruce’s mind even after the story is no longer referenced.

So far, for me, Zdarsky is ticking that box, and he’s doing it with perhaps my favorite artist in all of superhero comics in Jorge Jiménez – who to me is a modern day Jim Lee, along with one of my favorite colorists – Tomeu Morey.

My excitement is still at its peak as I roll into this “Gotham War” and the “Joker: Year One” arc that follows. Batman/Catwoman disagreements and Joker origin bullshit are two things that have a high likelihood of tickling my fancy, so I’m curious to see if my enthusiasm for this run continues through the material that turned a lot of fans off.

The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries (2024) #6 – This title is a series of one-shot Batman plus Scooby Gang team-ups, with a different writer on every issue. This month is penned by Amanda Deibert! Unlike DC’s other kid’s cartoon properties, this one is due for a collected edition this summer. I guess having Batman as a co-star makes a big difference!

Birds of Prey (2023) #10 – See Guide to Birds of Prey. Kelly Thompson’s delightful remix of Black Canary’s femme fighting force continues!

After the stellar first arc of this title, I was feeling like Leonardo Romero’s Bronze-Age-influenced art was absolutely essential to successful alchemy of this title. Issues without him didn’t ring out quite the same even with Jordie Bellaire maintaining her distinctly 70s coloring look. However, last issue found a perfect middle ground with artist Jonathan Case and Gavin Guidry. I’m not familiar with either of them, but both kept up the retro vibe but added heir own distinctly clean styles to the mix.

(Also, it pulled one of the characters from that first arc back into the narrative, suggesting she might be a series regular after al!)

This issue maintains Guidry and trades Case for Robbi Rodriguez as it focuses entirely on Big Barda, who is unquestionably the breakout star of Thompson’s run. I enjoyed hearing Thompson discuss writing Big Barda and Cassandra Cain on her Near Mint Condition interview, where she talked about knowing she loved both characters but not realizing how funny they would be together.

This is a run you absolutely want to start from the start – issue #1 is one of the best single issues of superhero comics I’ve read in years!

The Boy Wonder (2024) #2 – See Guide to Robin(s). Juni Ba continues this fairytale style dissection of the different Robins with a focus on Tim Drake.

DC Pride: A Celebration of Rachel Pollack (2024) #1 – See Guide to Doom Patrol. Rachel Pollack was the author of a beloved run of Doom Patrol that broke ground for its themes of gender identity and the focus on a transgender character.

Pollack, who passed away in 2023, was a trans woman, an award-winning novelist, and a noted Tarot expert.

I haven’t had the pleasure of reading Pollack’s comics work, but I have met the writer behind some of this special – Joe Carallo – as a part of the panel on the Near Mint Condition’s DC Evergreen omnibus show. Joe’s love and respect for Rachel Pollack as a colleague and friend came through even in briefly chatting with him before and after the show. I’m genuinely invested in seeing how he pays tribute to her in this issue – as well as finally reading her Doom Patrol run!

Kneel Before Zod (2024) #6 – See Guide to Superman (Post-Crisis, 1987 – present). Last issue, Zod went from drifting alone in space to taking over a prison trawler and co-opting its deadly population of incarcerated aliens as his new army.

I continue to struggle with the idea of who this series is for and what it hopes to achieve. Zod isn’t given much room to be a dynamic character here – his one character trait is that he attempts to dominate everything. To me, what felt like the most compelling conflict came with how that came from his interactions with his similarly cruel partner Ursa, his secret plans for half of his planet, and the anticipation of the return of his son Lor-Zod.

It’s those relationships and open plot threads that made Zod seem fallible and which introduced the tension of rooting for the character who seems to be the cruelest and most evil in the entire cast.

Now, Joe Casey has divorced the series from all of those elements. I suppose we’re meant to take glee in seeing the ruthless Zod reassemble his empire from scratch in the middle of dead space so he can wreak his revenge. That doesn’t seem compelling to me – and, further, I feel like we’ve lost touch with Zod’s own intrinsic motivations.

I think Joe Casey can be a fascinating writer when he leans into superhero plots that feel unexpected or transgressive. I’m hoping that Zod and his newfound army will do something in this issue that will snap this series into focus. At the moment, I can’t recommend it.

My Adventures with Superman (2024) #1 – Stories set in the cartoon continuity of the Adult Swim animated series of the same name, as written by Josie Campbell.

Poison Ivy (2022) #23 – See Guide to Harley Quinn (for now). Catching up from the end of the first arc to present day on Poison Ivy was one of my major binges of the week. Actually, I only intended on reading one more arc, but I couldn’t stop myself!

G. Willow Wilson and her regular teammates Marcio Takara, Arif Prianto, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou have built something incredibly special with this book. It is villainous without being pure evil, thoroughly feminist, and often pays tribute to its roots in early pre-Vertigo Swamp Thing with psychedelic sequences in The Green.

Wilson has created a version of Ivy who is unsure of her relationship to The Green, and that makes her uncertain of her place in the world of man (both the species and the gender). Should she be strangling it out like a weed? Or, finding small ways to help it to heal?

This issue brings to a climax the battle between Ivy and her ragtag team of misunderstood non-villains (including Janet from HR) against the resurgence of Ivy’s creator, the Floronic Man. However, that battle was brilliantly framed via an absolutely essential reimagination of Ivy’s origins from issues #19-21.

If you love Ivy at all, you owe it to yourself to pick up that crackling and gorgeous origin retelling. However, if you want to get the full impact of the conflict in this issue, you really need to start from the start and pick up issue #1! My one caution is that it seemed clear to me that this was greenlit as a mini-series and then took some time to shift into an ongoing, because issues #7-8 felt hasty and wobbly before the book got back to the quality of its launch arc.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? (2010) #128 – The Scooby Gang take a vacation day and deal with a lake monster! This bi-monthly series by writer Derek Fridolfs is not collected.

Shazam! (2023) #12 – See Guide to Shazam. I’m still slowly working my way through the first two arcs of this title by Mark Waid to get to the more playful current bit by Josie Campbell. This ends Campbell’s brief “moving day” initial arc, with a new story kicking off next issue. If you’re looking to jump on without starting from #1, issue #10 is the obvious onboarding spot.

Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum (2024) #5 – See Guide to Suicide Squad. The final issue of the prequel comic for Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.