The past year has seen a number of exciting developments at DC: from Rebirth’s myriad of great titles to this week’s launch of the new Warren Ellis-led Wildstorm Universe imprint in The Wild Storm. But first and foremost in my mind is the continually creative flourishing Young Animal books which include: Doom Patrol, Shade the Changing Girl, Cave Carson has a Cybernetic Eye, and Mother Panic. These titles embrace the reinvented aesthetic of the pre-Vertigo days and update it for this millennial generation: with dazzling, eye-popping art and colors, along with storytelling that is challenging, action-packed and humorous – sometimes all at the same time!

Thanks to DC, The Beat is pleased to exclusively offer your first look at May’s Young Animal titles, with full solicits for each…Lotion the Cat undergoes some changes, Mother Panic undergoes an existential crisis, Loma Shade comes to Gotham, and Cave Carson loses his eye? Sounds like a fun month of reading to me!

DOOM PATROL #8

Written by GERARD WAY • Art by NICK DERINGTON • Backup story art by BRANDON BIRD • Cover by NICK DERINGTON • Variant cover by JAMES O’BARR

What is S**t, and why is everyone eating it? Cliff doesn’t like it, but Casey can’t get enough. Sure, Cliff doesn’t like a lot of stuff, but that doesn’t mean he’s wrong to be suspicious this time around. Meanwhile, we find out where Lotion the cat got off to, and how his journey has changed him. Life on the streets has made him an entirely different animal!

On sale MAY 31 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • MATURE READERS

MOTHER PANIC #7

Written by JODY HOUSER • Art and cover by JOHN PAUL LEON • Backup story written by JIM KRUEGER • Backup story art by PHIL HESTER • Variant cover by TOMMY LEE EDWARDS

A life Mother Panic once saved is again struck by tragedy, causing her to take a deeper look at her mission of revenge and her role in Gotham City. And with the shadow of the Bat looming ever closer, she may not have much time to decide where she stands!

And don’t miss chapter seven of the backup story, “Gotham Radio”!

On sale MAY 24• 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • MATURE READERS

SHADE, THE CHANGING GIRL #8

Written by CECIL CASTELLUCCI • Art by MARLEY ZARCONE • Backup story art by AUDREY MOK • Cover by BECKY CLOONAN • Variant cover by JEN BARTEL

Shade hits the road! After her high school friends made it clear they didn’t want her around, Shade realized she doesn’t want to be there anyway. Map in hand, she decides to explore America. First stop: Gotham City. The city’s population may have seen its fair share of madness, but never like this. The only thing Shade didn’t factor in is that embracing her powers ends up signaling her home planet as to her whereabouts, and Meta police are going to come looking for her stolen coat.

On sale MAY 3 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • MATURE READERS

CAVE CARSON HAS A CYBERNETIC EYE #8

Written by JON RIVERA • Art and cover by MICHAEL AVON OEMING • Variant cover by YANICK PAQUETTE

Cave Carson has a cybernetic eye! Or, more accurately, he had one. After the fallout with the Whisperer and his cult in issue #6, the eye has run amok—and it’s up to Cave and the rest of Team Carson to find it. What’s that cognizant ocular computer chasing, anyhow?

On sale MAY 17 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • MATURE READERS