DC announces their new books and creators!

[Mikelus]

All of this sounds terribly familiar...

Flashback to 2011:

"We really want to inject new life in our characters and line," says Dan DiDio, co-publisher of DC with Lee. "This was a chance to start, not at the beginning, but at a point where our characters are younger and the stories are being told for today's audience."

"We've got a new set of creators coming in with new voices in the DC Universe," DiDio says. "We really want to bring a new energy and excitement to our books."

There will also be a lot of diversity in the products as well, DiDio promises. "It's not just about straight superhero characters and stories. We're going to use war comics, we have stories set in mystery and horror, we've got Westerns."

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/comics/2011-05-31-dc-comics-reinvents_n.htm

Now, the big question is: How long will this last till they change their minds again like they usually do?

So Geoff is leaving Superman after just a few months, he failed the city! But Romita Jr stays when he should leave too, his art is awful for Superman. Many fans are not happy with his work but DC keeps him anyway, it seems some family names are more important than talent. Anyway, we'll see if this works out better than the New 52, time will tell.

 

[Decepticonus]

Disappointed but not surprised by the lack of Batwoman.

This was actually confirmed a little bit ago, so not surprised but yeah dissappointed no matter what, I love Batwoman.

A series for Damian - great, he's shaping up to be my favorite Robin and I feel he can carry a story fairly well. But no more Batman & Robin? That sucks, unless they're planning to take a break and focus on his own series
Batmite - Hell Yes! People to this day still hate him, why? Watch Brave & The Bold he's so entertaining. The ultimate fan boy with god like powers and what does he do with them? Remain a fan boy! It's hilarious
Dr. Fate - Cool I'm open for it
Martian Manhunter - about ****in' time! I remember Dwayne McDuffie & Bruce Timm were planning this some years ago.
Harley Quinn/Power Girl - Why not? it's hilarious. Keep in mind her series with Huntress sold crap, hence why it was canned. Sorry folks, just plain truth.
Cyborg - own series? 'bout time!
Batman Beyond - I thought we already had a series, I am confused here
Constantine Hellblazer - So a vertigo return/approach? He needs it
Dark Universe - I still love this concept! Vol. 1 took so long to build up, Vol. 2 - better, vol. 3 - better and then yeaaaaah. The Forever Evil stuff also dragged. This is its problem, their stories just drag and drag and drag.

But here's one thing - Trinity got a solo run, so did Pandora and Phantom Stranger. Where is The Question? I realize some may not like New 52 Question that's fine BUT if this is the Question we're stuck with I'd like to know more about him. It only makes sense to give a run if you gave the other two a run.

 

[titansupes]

All of this sounds terribly familiar...

Flashback to 2011:



Now, the big question is: How long will this last till they change their minds again like they usually do?

So Geoff is leaving Superman after just a few months, he failed the city! But Romita Jr stays when he should leave too, his art is awful for Superman. Many fans are not happy with his work but DC keeps him anyway, it seems some family names are more important than talent. Anyway, we'll see if this works out better than the New 52, time will tell.

Exactly what I was thinking when I read today's announcement.

 

[Gee]

This was actually confirmed a little bit ago, so not surprised but yeah dissappointed no matter what, I love Batwoman.

A series for Damian - great, he's shaping up to be my favorite Robin and I feel he can carry a story fairly well. But no more Batman & Robin? That sucks, unless they're planning to take a break and focus on his own series
Batmite - Hell Yes! People to this day still hate him, why? Watch Brave & The Bold he's so entertaining. The ultimate fan boy with god like powers and what does he do with them? Remain a fan boy! It's hilarious
Dr. Fate - Cool I'm open for it
Martian Manhunter - about ****in' time! I remember Dwayne McDuffie & Bruce Timm were planning this some years ago.
Harley Quinn/Power Girl - Why not? it's hilarious. Keep in mind her series with Huntress sold crap, hence why it was canned. Sorry folks, just plain truth.
Cyborg - own series? 'bout time!
Batman Beyond - I thought we already had a series, I am confused here
Constantine Hellblazer - So a vertigo return/approach? He needs it
Dark Universe - I still love this concept! Vol. 1 took so long to build up, Vol. 2 - better, vol. 3 - better and then yeaaaaah. The Forever Evil stuff also dragged. This is its problem, their stories just drag and drag and drag.

But here's one thing - Trinity got a solo run, so did Pandora and Phantom Stranger. Where is The Question? I realize some may not like New 52 Question that's fine BUT if this is the Question we're stuck with I'd like to know more about him. It only makes sense to give a run if you gave the other two a run.

This PeeGee is probably the new one (Tanya) as Karen has gone back on Earth-2.

 

[godisawesome]

A part of me has to believe the Convergence will be used to quietly retcon Superboy's past. There really isn't anything about Scott Lobdell's NOWHERE plotline worth keeping, and at worst, it makes Superboy a Stryfe knockoff.

And I am really curious about We are Robin. The blonde definitely looks like Stephanie Brown, Didio himself seemed to be gauging the popularity of a Tim Drake comic a few months ago, and considering the Batfamily is back to a plus 5 number with Harper and Steph joining with the return of Damian, it would seem a massive waste of potential if they completely avoided any more sidekick books.

 

[Snow Queen]

This was actually confirmed a little bit ago, so not surprised but yeah dissappointed no matter what, I love Batwoman.

I know she was cancelled, but since I saw the title of DC announcing a change up in the line, I was hoping to see her pop up with a better creative team at the helm (than Andreyko and Haun, though I wouldn't be against the latter returning as his art is fine but the writing is awful).

 

[Compi716]

The lack of a Tomasi & Gleason BATMAN AND ROBIN book is absolutely devastating.

 

[Boy Scout]

I love the sound of that.

 

[Cain]

This PeeGee is probably the new one (Tanya) as Karen has gone back on Earth-2.

I'm pretty sure it will be the real Power Girl. There's already a precedent set by Palmiotti and Conner when it comes to teaming up both those characters.

Also once again "story will trump continuity". They're no longer gonna limit writers with this "every title's timeline must line up exactly". Just because there is a Harley Quinn/Power Girl mini doesn't mean she can't also be in an Earth-2 book. Who's to say the mini doesn't take place before she went back to her homeworld?

That's what loose continuity means. All it is is DC going back to how they use to do things. It's just that for some reason many people are hyping it up as if it's something completely new for the company to return to their old editorial style across all titles. As opposed to the homogenized editorial style they have tried since 2011.

 

[luis4u]

asked: DC added Midnighter, but they got rid of Batwoman. That's just swapping one gay character for another. There's no net gain.

Gail response



I strongly suspect it will be a net gain very shortly.


I could be wrong, but the tea leaves say yes.



http://gailsimone.tumblr.com/post/110300769645/dc-added-midnighter-but-they-got-rid-of-batwoman

 

[Snow Queen]

asked: DC added Midnighter, but they got rid of Batwoman. That's just swapping one gay character for another. There's no net gain.

Gail response



I strongly suspect it will be a net gain very shortly.


I could be wrong, but the tea leaves say yes.



http://gailsimone.tumblr.com/post/110300769645/dc-added-midnighter-but-they-got-rid-of-batwoman

Please mean Batwoman's going to have a new book with a good creative team rather than how the run's been since the stuff that went down with Williams III and Blackman. Though it could just as easily mean a different character, but I can hope! XD

 

[luis4u]

"And Scott Lobdell seems to have an intriguing teenage take on Doomsday, reinvented as a youngster in Doomed, again showing a little more title experimentation, along the lines of Wicked, Tangled and Frozen. Lobdell hasn’t always had the best of press, least of all from Bleeding Cool, but if he can summon half of what he had from Generation X into Doomed, then we could well have a massive hit."

 

[BlackMagicWolf]

I like the New 52, I really did. For me, it allowed me to get details beyond the Batman's and Green Lanterns (timing made me get them), and get Justice League, Aquaman, Teen Titans, etc.

Not everything was good, but it worked for me, a guy who was technically new to comic books. I am excited for many of these series, and I hope many succeed, I do worry though about some of them. Just because a character is popular, doesn't mean their series will sell, that's a fact we've learned all too well.

A curious thing for me will be which versions of some of these characters will be present in these books. You guys already noted the "situation" with Power Girl, but what about Dr. Fate? Is this Earth 2 Dr. Fate? Or a new Dr. Fate in "our" Earth. Also, I'm curious to see the tones and storylines some of these comics take.

I know we don't know much, but for right now...I'm excited.

 

[Gee]

I'm pretty sure it will be the real Power Girl. There's already a precedent set by Palmiotti and Conner when it comes to teaming up both those characters.

Also once again "story will trump continuity". They're no longer gonna limit writers with this "every title's timeline must line up exactly". Just because there is a Harley Quinn/Power Girl mini doesn't mean she can't also be in an Earth-2 book. Who's to say the mini doesn't take place before she went back to her homeworld?

That's what loose continuity means. All it is is DC going back to how they use to do things. It's just that for some reason many people are hyping it up as if it's something completely new for the company to return to their old editorial style across all titles. As opposed to the homogenized editorial style they have tried since 2011.

Yeah, you're probably right.

I enjoyed the PG issues from the previous HQ arc so hopefully the mini-series will have a similar quality and humour.

 

[Snow Queen]

"And Scott Lobdell seems to have an intriguing teenage take on Doomsday, reinvented as a youngster in Doomed, again showing a little more title experimentation, along the lines of Wicked, Tangled and Frozen. Lobdell hasn’t always had the best of press, least of all from Bleeding Cool, but if he can summon half of what he had from Generation X into Doomed, then we could well have a massive hit."

Because when I think Doomsday, I think Frozen, Tangled and teenagers. Wait...

 

[luis4u]

Because when I think Doomsday, I think Frozen, Tangled and teenagers. Wait...

if the execution is right.

then this may be the greatest thing ever. Of all time.

 

[-Arya-]

I like the New 52, I really did. For me, it allowed me to get details beyond the Batman's and Green Lanterns (timing made me get them), and get Justice League, Aquaman, Teen Titans, etc.

Not everything was good, but it worked for me, a guy who was technically new to comic books. I am excited for many of these series, and I hope many succeed, I do worry though about some of them. Just because a character is popular, doesn't mean their series will sell, that's a fact we've learned all too well.

A curious thing for me will be which versions of some of these characters will be present in these books. You guys already noted the "situation" with Power Girl, but what about Dr. Fate? Is this Earth 2 Dr. Fate? Or a new Dr. Fate in "our" Earth. Also, I'm curious to see the tones and storylines some of these comics take.

I know we don't know much, but for right now...I'm excited.

I have been loving the new 52 as well. As a novice comic reader who only read acclaimed Batman and Superman graphic novels, it allowed me to easily access characters I never read before. Aquaman, Animal Man, The Flash, Green Arrow, Swamp Thing, Shazam, Wonder Woman the list goes on and on. That's in addition to some great Batman and a couple of Superman titles as well. I also acknowledge the misfires and I've thankfully avoided those books that weren't well received and focused on those that were.

I really hope DC succeeds with these relaunched books and perhaps even regain the trust of long times fans who didn't like the initial changes in new 52. Time will tell.

As far as Dr. Fate is concerned, I would assume it's the Earth 0 (main earth) version since there hasn't been a strong focus on him as of yet.

 

[Binker]

I love this image, maybe use this for the post-New 52:

P.S. The new Superman suit design looks better now, we were all right when we said it was because of Romita, Jr. that it looked crappy.

 

[Cain]

There is no post-New 52. This is still the New 52. I don't understand why it's so hard for people to understand this lol.

 

[Snow Queen]

There is no post-New 52. This is still the New 52. I don't understand why it's so hard for people to understand this lol.

Probably because a number of articles have their headlines read as though that's what's going on.

 

[Binker]

So what do we call it? Newer 52? New 52 2.0? Lol, the 2015?

 

[Cain]

Well that's because they're unprofessional journalists looking for click bait headlines.

When you read the actual content of the articles you see that this isn't "another reboot" like so many people are ignorantly thinking that it is. It's simply the announcement of more relaxed editing once again being used across the entire line of DC Comics.

 

[Cain]

So what do we call it? Newer 52? New 52 2.0? Lol, the 2015?

We call it DC Comics.


New 52 is just another way to label that these stories take place within the 52 new worlds created in 52 and recreated after Final Crisis/Flashpoint. It has also become a scarlet letter for DC's comics thanks to the backlash of some titles that weren't too hot making it a toxic branding. The same branding that also applies to some good comics that get ignored just because of the bad omens from the ****** ones that share that branding with them. It was hurting their sales to continue in that direction.

It was a buzzword banner for the relaunch back in 2011. It's not nor was it ever meant to be a universal term for Earth 0/New Earth (the mainstream DC earth most people follow).

 

[BlackMagicWolf]

It also meant that there were 52 main titles under the main banner. Even when books got cancelled, they always maintained the 52 number. Now it's 49, hence they're dropping the title.

 

[godisawesome]

"And Scott Lobdell seems to have an intriguing teenage take on Doomsday, reinvented as a youngster in Doomed, again showing a little more title experimentation, along the lines of Wicked, Tangled and Frozen. Lobdell hasn’t always had the best of press, least of all from Bleeding Cool, but if he can summon half of what he had from Generation X into Doomed, then we could well have a massive hit."

...so he's going to try and write Superboy again, but this time with Doomsday?

Not going to lie, I'm still really bitter at Lobdell for making Superboy a Stryfe knockoff and floundering badly on pretty much all Teen Titans except Bunker. I also just don't think the guys a top level writer at all, and that he's got some support from editorial, or he wouldn't be writing for DC still. He can handle Jason Todd's voice, but the guys made a lot of questionable decisions, and each time he takes a story into more Sci-fi areas, it seems to burn out faster.

I kind of hope I'm wrong from a personal standpoint, but from a Tim Drake, Bart Allen, Kon-El, and overall Young Justice fanboy standpoint....

....I kind of want this thing to crash and burn.