In order to gain official status as a comic blogger, and to break my solicits cherry, it’s time for me to look at what DC Comics will be publishing in May and given my considered, if uninformed and highly biased, opinion. (You can see a full list here at CBR.)

The Batman Begins merchandise madness, erm, begins. Along with the pointless comic book movie adaptation, you can buy replicas, statues, busts, and (don’t call them dolls) action figures. I’m sure that your film experience will be greatly enhanced by purchasing a load of useless old crap. In addition, over a dozen Batman-related comics, including specials, are available for this month (overload, you say?), of which I’m only interested in Gotham Central, but good luck to DC if they think that they’ll see a repeat of the Tim Burton film knock-on to the sales of comics.

Is Byrne really an attraction anymore? I mean, the cover for Action Comics #827 is quite ugly? Gail Simone might be a fun writer, but that won’t get me to buy the book.

Most of the DCU stuff doesn’t do much for me, I have to say. Although I like the art of Carlos Pacheco, I don’t enjoy the writing of Geoff Johns, so Green Lantern won’t make it to my pull list.

Hawkman #40 wins the cheesecake cover award for the buttock-exposing skirt and prominent nipple on the female character in the front left. Joe Bennett, you’re a classy guy. For an example of an outstanding cover, check out Green Arrow #50 by James Jean, who is fast becoming one of the best cover artists around. I haven’t read any Green Arrow by Judd Winick since I dropped it some time ago, but I can admire the cover art.

I’ll be picking up the Giffen and DeMatteis JLA: Classified in TPB, just to make a statement of the fact that it should have been a self-contained mini-series of its own in the first place.

To make up for not getting a lot of DCU books, I seem to overcompensate by getting a shedload of Wildstorm books. Authority: Revolution, Ex Machina, The Intimates, Planetary and Sleeper (I’ll miss Sleeper, which ends with #12, but what a great cover), to be added to this month with the latest Warren Ellis, Desolation Jones, which sounds like a lot of fun. I’m still undecided on Redbird, because I love Jason Pearson’s art (Body Bags, anybody?), so might wait for the trade, along with Howard Chaykin’s City of Tomorrow.

Another book which looks interesting is Top Ten, which was one of the most wonderful things Alan Moore has done; however, I simply do not buy hardcovers, even though I want Top Ten: The Forty-Niners more than a crack addict wants his next fix.

The Vertigo section sees less of my money than it used to in days gone buy, with the only monthlies being 100 Bullets and Fables, but at least the new Losers TP, Trifecta, is out for me to catch up on the series (it was dropped for monetary reasons, not quality ones, when I had a comics cutback recently), which is good news for me and hopefully for Andy Diggle and Jock, who are still being allowed to progress with the series, as it reaches #24.

And that about covers it for me. There are some 2000AD collections that I read when I was growing up (I’ve always thought Bisley worked best in pen and ink, personally, and always loved his art in the ABC Warriors for this reason), and lots more bizarre products for you to buy, such as a Batman marionette (why, dear God?) and lots of different action figures, but I only buy the books, so that’s your lot. Now, go pre-order to make sure you get what you want.