May promises to be a busy month for DC Comics, which continues to flesh out its Rebirth mystery with a revelation here and a tease there. But there's a lot more going on outside of the "when are the Watchmen showing up?" mystery.

EXCLUSIVE: Dixon & Nolan Return to Bane for New DC Series

For starters, Batman's most dangerous enemy, Bane, is poised to headline his own series when Chuck Dixon and Graham Nolan present "Bane: Conquest."

In the 12-part series, the title villain will reunite with Bird, Trogg and Zombie, his henchmen that have been mostly missing in action since their introduction in the 1993-1993 “Batman: Knightfall” arc, but who re-surfaced as part of the “I Am Bane” storyline. According to DC’s official description of the series, Bane will take his criminal ambitious out of Gotham, in search of “new cities to conquer and new enemies to crush.”

Of course, the rest of the DCU has other things to worry about, from new enemies to betrayal by old friends, and yes, some more Rebirth developments. Here are the highlights of DC Comics' solicitations for MAy 2017.

  • The Suicide Squad drafts its most powerful member ever, when Amanda Waller convinces General Zod to join her deadly team. The storyline crosses over with the latest "Action Comics" saga, "Revenge," which sees the Rebirth genesis of the Superman Revenge Squad
  • Ryan Choi and Caitlin Snow are in love, or at least the early stages of it. "Justice League of America" #11 promises developments in the "budding romance" between Killer Frost and The Atom. But even bigger, the sopy declares we'll see "a moment fans have been waiting for since DC UNIVERSE: REBIRTH!"
    • jla-detail
  • Scott Snyder re-teams with his "American Vampire" partner Rafael ALbuquerque for a new arc of "All Star Batman." Rather than focusing on the Dark Knight's classic rogues, "The First Ally" will introduce new bad guys to Batman's universe, and possible betrayal from "one of his closest allies."
  • Aquaman finds himself more or less impeached in the first chapter of "Crown of Atlantis." When the citizens of his kingdom grow tired of their constant battles with the surface world they attempt to overthrow the king.
  • "League of Shadows" concludes in "Detective Comics," which teases the permanent loss of one member of Batman's team due to the actions of Lady Shiva's power play on Gotham City.
  • Stephanie Brown takes the spotlight in the next issue, when "Detective Comics" #957 debuts "The Wrath Of Spoiler." The description teases a "very unlikely ally" will help Stephanie in her battle, so place your bets as to who will join her.
  • "Green Lanterns" #23 teases a possible break-up of the partnership between Simon Baz and Jessica Ruiz. The Green Lantern Corps strikes a deal with the Sinestro Corps resulting in one Green and one Yellow Lantern per sector, which means Sector 2814 has an extra Lantern.
  • Nicola Scott returns to "Wonder Woman," albeit briefly. Scott joins Greg Rucka, Liam Sharp and a number of other artists for "Wonder Woman Annual" #1. Through several short stories, we'll see Diana's first encounter with Batman and Superman and learn how their relationships evolved over time.
    wonder-woman-detail
  • The Legion of Super-Heroes Rebirth mystery deepens in "Supergirl" #9. Not only does the issue involve the Phantom Zone (ie: the place where Mon-El spent centuries awaiting a cure for his lead poisoning), it features the Emerald Empress and her attempts to build a team of villains. Chances are good we're about to see the Fatal Five crash the Rebirth party.
  • We already knew about the Teen Titans/Titans/Deathstroke crossover, but the solicitation text for the 4-part storyline's finale, "the consequences of which will be felt for years to come," and Wally West's role in the center of the conflict indicate that it will have massive repercussions on the Rebirth timeline.
  • Frank Miller, Brian Azzarello, Andy Kubert and Klaus Janson's "Dark Knight III: The Master Race" concludes when issue #9 arrives in May.
  • "Bug: The Adventures of a Forager" brings Jack Kirby's New Gods to DC's Young Animal imprint. The series, by Lee, Mike and Laura Allred, explores Kirby's Fourth World reality, following the adventures of one of its lowest denizens as Bug attempts to elevate himself to the status of a New God.