This Week On DC Universe Infinite Ultra: 03/06/2024

This Week on DC Universe Infinite looks at the new books and 3 reviews

A solid week of books from DC Universe Infinite, including a couple of books out on physical release date, and a good amount of new trades. I also review 3 books and give my overall thoughts on the app itself.

Here are this week’s releases:

• Batman #142 (02/06/2014)
• Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries, The #2 (02/06/2014)
• Birds of Prey #6 (02/06/2014)
• Fire & Ice: Welcome To Smallville #6 (02/06/2014)
• Kneel Before Zod #2 (02/06/2014)
• Poison Ivy #19 (02/06/2014)
• Red Hood: The Hill #0 (02/06/2014)
• Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #126 (02/06/2014)
• Shazam! #8 (02/06/2014)
• Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum #2 (03/05/2024)
• Superman ’78: The Metal Curtain #4 (02/06/2014)
• Superman vs Meshi #18 (03/05/2024)

Batman #142 is a good jumping on point to a degree; it’s the beginning of Joker Year 1, it would help to read the previous arc and Zdarsky’s Batman: The Knight first. Red Hood: The Hill is setting up the new series. SS: Kill Arkham Asylum is a mini-series that ties into the SS: Kill the Justice League video game. Superman vs Meshi is another DC Manga book; not sure what the story is with it, but I haven’t seen the buzz for it like Joker: One Operation Joker.

Here are the new trades on Ultra:

• Batman: Urban Legends Vol. 6
• Creature Commandos Present: Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. Book 1
• Icon vs Hardware
• Peacemaker Tries Hard!
• Static: Shadows of Dakota
• Waller vs Wildstorm

I was able to read 3 of last week’s books (2 on the app, 1 I picked up from my LCS):

• Batman And Robin 2024 Annual #1: Batman and Robin has been one of my favorite Dawn of DC books; seeing Damian try to be integrated into a normal kids life is entertaining. This annual is in line with that. Bruce and Damian go hunting and end up being hunted. It’s really my first book experience with Bloodsport and he was a solid villain. Probably my book of the week: A.
• Batman: Off-World #3: I wasn’t a fan of the start of the book, but it’s slowly grown on me. Jason Aaron’s work is hit or miss; I really enjoyed his early Marvel work, but as he got more freedom and started to get more out there as far as ideas, I didn’t enjoy his work as much. The idea of this book is out there (Batman intentionally leaves Gotham for space to hunt a bad guy), it does line up with the Zdarsky theme that Batman will search out any way to get better. C
• Batman/Superman: World’s Finest 2024 Annual #1: I gave up on this one. I’d been reading the last few issues of Batman/Superman: World’s Finest and this annual had nothing to do with it. I’m fine with that, but it had more to do with previous arcs that I hadn’t read. It wasn’t bad per say, I was just unfamiliar with what was going on. D

For those curious about the app, there are some definite pros and cons, especially when compared to the Marvel Unlimited app. The biggest pro is the ability to read full trades; while most of the individual issues are on the app, having the ability to read them in one sitting is a nice feature. The different tiers are nice too; you can get the basic membership and wait 6 months to read new books or you can get Ultra and read them after 1 month of release.

The cons are pretty major. First off, they don’t track and mark what you have read like Marvel does; they do have a blue bar on the cover of the book to show your progress, but it’s not reliable (I’m seeing a new book that I’ve never read, but it shows that I’m 3/4 of the way through the book).

Secondly, their dive back in section adds books you haven’t read and you can’t remove books from it; Marvel’s Continue Reading section doesn’t add books and gives you the ability to remove books that you don’t plan on returning too.

Lastly, if you don’t close the app and let it sit for a while, you don’t return to where you were in the book and it won’t update the Dive Back In section until you do close the app.

The biggest con is releasing new books; books come out on Tuesday for DC, but the app doesn’t have a set time to do it. I spent half the day waiting for new issues so I could write them up and there was nothing by noon, when I was out of time to work on this column. Marvel is like clockwork on Monday morning and I wish DC would follow suit.

I’m happy with my Ultra membership, but I’d love to be able to communicate these things to DC and find out if they are continuing to improve the app.