Nothing like passing judgment on books that won’t be released for three months. Here are a few of the Marvel and DC solicitations that stand out to me.

COUNTDOWN PRESENTS: THE SEARCH FOR RAY PALMER: GOTHAM BY GASLIGHT #1
Written by Brian Augustyn
Art by Greg Tocchini Cover by Dustin Nguyen
The quest heats up as one of the Challengers of the Beyond becomes an enemy. Plus, could finding Ray Palmer prove fatal?
For a signed edition, please see the Dynamic Forces section of Previews.
On sale November 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

I’m pretty apathetic to the whole multiverse thing, but the idea that one of the 52 parallel worlds is 100 years slower than the main one kinda bugs me. I would think that all the worlds would be taking place in the same general time period (the early 21st century). But I’m probably not going to read this or any other “Search for Ray” titles so what’s matter to me?

GOTHAM UNDERGROUND #2
WRITTEN by Frank Tieri
Art by J. Calafiore & Jack Purcell
Cover by J. Calafiore
A COUNTDOWN and SALVATION RUN tie-in! The power struggle for control of Gotham’s crime network continues as a new player challenges Penguin for leadership. Meanwhile, Batman goes deep undercover. Plus, guest appearances by Nightwing, Riddler, Mr. Zsasz, Ventriloquist and Scarface!
On sale November 28 • 2 of 9 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

So now the Ventriloquist isn’t dead? He looked pretty dead during Batman’s “One Year Later” story. Has Superboy Prime been punching stuff again?

ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER #8
Written by Frank Miller
Art and cover by Jim Lee
& Scott Williams
Variant wraparound cover by Miller
Part 1 of Frank Miller’s & Jim Lee’s two-fisted thrill ride ends here, yet it’s only just begun! The Dark Knight links a brutal psychopath to the Flying Grayson’s murder, and the streets of Gotham run red with terror! Dick Grayson is reborn to wage war on crime! The newly banded Justice League fans out, trying to catch a bat!

Wait! “Part 1 of Frank Miller’s & Jim Lee’s two-fisted thrill ride ends here, yet it’s only just begun!” What? How long is DC going to stay in this abusive relationship? How many years will this one story line take?

BATMAN: THE MAN WHO LAUGHS HC
Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Doug Mahnke, Patrick Zircher, Aaron Sowd and Steve Bird
Cover by Mahnke
Witness Batman’s first encounter with The Joker in this hardcover volume collecting the graphic novel BATMAN: THE MAN WHO LAUGHS, by Ed Brubaker and Doug Mahnke! This collection also includes DETECTIVE COMICS #784-786, a murder-mystery tale guest-starring Green Lantern Alan Scott!
Advance-solicited; on sale January 30 • 144 pg, FC, $19.99 US

So there is finally a chance I can get this. I’m putting in my order ASAP.

NEW AVENGERS #36
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Pencils & Cover by LEINIL FRANCIS YU
Hey, I don’t know if you read the solicitation for Mighty Avengers but a Venom virus has gone off in New York City. That means the whole city!! That means the New Avengers have turned symbiote. Oh yeah!! Plus, Wolverine has a bone to pick with Spider-Woman about a little green-skinned something. Oh, and the Hood isn’t wasting any time setting himself up as the kingpin of all super-villains.

I can see how Spider-Woman could be accused of being a Skrull. I mean, she doesn’t have her own series. But I really hope she isn’t. My prediction for this Skrull thing is that the only people who are being impersonated will be C-listers who have not had a serious part in any stories in the past two years. The Great Lake Avengers are all Skrulls.

ESSENTIAL X-MEN VOL. 8 TPB
Written by CHRIS CLAREMONT
Penciled by MARC SILVESTRI & RICK LEONARDI
The X-Men are dead to the world, and evildoers a-plenty are willing to make the hoax a reality! See the debuts of characters and concepts that sculpted the struggles and souls of the mightiest mutants for years to come – including the Reavers, Genosha and the Conover Crusade! The Brood barge in and the Marauders mix it up, topped off with a dose of demons who whip up an awe-inspiring Inferno! Guest-starring Magik and the Goblin Queen! Collecting UNCANNY X-MEN 229-243, ANNUAL 12 & X-FACTOR 36-39.
552 PGS./Rated T+ …$16.99

Thank you, Marvel. I love you.

And that Ms Marvel cover…

Could this be the next feminist outrage or will we just point and laugh at how awful it is? Personally, I’m leaning towards the latter.