DC remembers Batman is Jewish in the latest issue of The Penguin. The best-selling comic book of 2023 was Transformers. Matt Bors is relaunching the Toxic Avenger with a new comic book. All on Comic Book Club News for February 28, 2024.
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Episode Transcript:
DC remembers Batman is Jewish.
The best-selling comic book of 2023, revealed.
Matt Bors knows that you’re toxic.
This is Comic Book Club News for February 28, 2024.
DC Remembers Batman Is Jewish In Latest Issue Of The Penguin:
If you were asked what religion Batman is, what answer would you give? Vengeance, right? Or possibly Espicopalian or something. But the actual answer is Jewish. And in this week’s issue of The Penguin, DC Comics finally remembered that Bruce Wayne is canonically Jewish during a brief, blink-and-you-miss-it line of dialogue. Or at least, writer Tom King remembered.
In The Penguin #7, written by King with art by Stevan Subic, Batman is investigating a murder, with a key piece of evidence a rare handkerchief left behind. Quickly, Batman realizes it was his mother’s handkerchief, and drops the following info: “My mother had it – a Hanukkah gift from my father.”
So, here’s the deal. In 2006’s Batwoman reboot, Kate Kane was reintroduced as a Jewish, lesbian cousin of Batman. Her father, Jacob Kane, is Jewish. Jacob Kane’s sister is Martha Wayne, née Martha Kane. While nobody has out loud said that Martha is Jewish, it’s a fair assumption that she is. And being Jewish, regardless of practice, is passed down matrilineally. Meaning if your mother is Jewish, you are Jewish. Ergo, Bruce Wayne is Jewish.
That said, Bruce Wayne has always been presented as non-denominational, or celebrating holidays like Christmas — versus Jewish holidays. In 2018’s Batman #53 he declared himself an atheist and talked about his father being Christian and taking him to Church. That, however, just means he was raised Christian. Again, if his mother is Jewish, he’s Jewish.
Will there be more to it than this idle mention in a flashback issue? Probably not. But it is a good reminder in continuity, Batman’s religion is arguably more complicated than solving crimes.
Transformers Is The Best-Selling Comic Of 2023:
We’re almost two months into 2024, so you know what that means: time to talk about 2023. Or more specifically, the best-selling comic books of 2023. And no surprise here, Image Comics and Skybound’s Transformers tops the charts.
The full list of comics was shared by ICv2, who broke it down as usual between units sold, and dollars earned. And while Transformers #1 was, well, number one on units sold, it only came in at number six on dollars earned. That’s mostly because Transformers cost a relatively frugal $4.99, while the top five were all priced at $6.99, $7.99, $8.99, and Amazing Spider-Man #31 at a whopping $9.99. Why are comic shops dying? Search me!
Back to the units sold list, the surprising number two issue was Spider-Man #7, the introduction of Spider-Boy, which is becoming a speculator’s delight. In fact, Spider-Man dominated the top fifty with a whopping 16 issues charting. Whopping! Love that word.
Coming in second was Batman, who anchored 12 titles on the Top 50. And most of the units sold chart was taken over by DC and Marvel, with only a few exceptions. Those include the aforementioned Transformers #1, with Void Rivals #1 at number five, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin – The Lost Years #1 at number ten, and W0rldtr33 #1 at 32.
Okay, now 2024 can get started.
Matt Bors Launches New The Toxic Avenger Comic Book:
Back when Matt Bors was on Comic Book Club’s live show, he teased something big coming in 2024. And now, we know what that is: a relaunch of the classic franchise The Toxic Avenger, now in comic books.
The second book Bors has done with Ahoy Comics, this new series will feature art by Fred Harper, and continue the adventures started in Troma’s cult classic films. Focusing on a boy turned into a hideous superhuman by toxic chemicals, the property seems a perfect fit for Bors’s satirical sensibilities.
Said Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman via a press release provided to Comic Book Club News: “If there was ever a superhuman hero for these toxic, miserable times, Toxie is the one! Only AHOY Comics and Bors & Harper could pull this off…er…mop this up! Toxie and the Troma Team can’t wait ‘til you read -no, experience – the art and stories that the Toxic Avenger Comic Book will explode in your brain, your soul, and your heart. Above all, remember – Toxie loves you and so do I.”
The new comic will hit stores on October 9, 2024.
For Comic Book Club News, I’m Alex Zalben. And I know it’s 2024, but I’m still writing “Batman is Episcopalian” on my checks!
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