The Human Target attempts to solve another mystery in a new DC Black Label one-shot

Tales of the Human Target variant cover by David Marquez (Image credit: DC Comics)

On August 23, writer Tom King is teaming up with a host of artists to solve the mystery of who tried to poison legendary DC villain Lex Luthor. Tales of the Human Target is an anthology-style DC Black Label one-shot featuring art by Mikel Janín, Rafael Albuquerque, Kevin Maguire, and The Human Target artist Greg Smallwood.

Prior to drinking the poison intended for his boss, Lex Luthor, the one-shot follows Human Target Christopher Chance as he teams up with members of the Justice League International to solve four interconnecting mysteries.

Tales of the Human Target main cover art by Greg Smallwood (Image credit: DC Comics)

We know the poison from Luthor's coffee cup came from a dimension where only a handful of characters have traveled – most of them from the JLI – though the main Human Target series has been on hiatus since March and won't pick back up until September, so at this point, readers are only as close to solving the murder as Chance himself. Tales of the Human Target may bolster his investigation, even though the stories inside take place before his actual poisoning.

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The Human Target Book Six followed Chance as he spent quality time with romantic interest Ice, which drew the ire of Guy Gardner, aka the Green Lantern. At the end of the issue, Guy attacked Chance and was nearly shot for his effort, though what came next was far more brutal. Dodging the bullet made him vulnerable to an attack by Ice, who froze the Green Lantern. Chance punched the ice and shattered Guy into pieces, ending the conflict before it could really begin.

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Tales of the Human Target 1 in 25 variant cover art by Jorge Jiménez(Image credit: DC Comics)

In keeping with the aesthetic of The Human Target, Tales will feature a main cover by series artist Greg Smallwood, invoking popular detective novels from the '60s and '70s. It will also feature a standard variant by David Marquez and a 1 in 25 ratio variant by Jorge Jiménez, featuring Chance in a romantic embrace with Ice herself.

Tales of the Human Target will hit shelves on August 23 from DC Black Label. Fans who missed individual issues of The Human Target can also pick up a copy of The Human Target Book One, which collects the first six issues, ahead of the series' return on September 23.

The Justice League International squad is one of Newsarama's best Justice League line-ups of all time.

Samantha Puc (she/they) is an editor at Newsarama and an avid comics fan. Their writing has been featured on Refinery29, Bitch Media, them., The Beat, The Mary Sue, and elsewhere. She is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative nonfiction at The New School.