Wow. Get your pitchforks and torches, ladies and gents. DC Comics is about to rock your comic loving world..and you're probably going to get a little angry about it. I've got no words..only speculation that grounding the DCU in a more "realistic" universe, in the minds of the execs, makes that universe as marketable as..say..the Marvel Universe? I expect Metropolis and Gotham City to be no more, if they are indeed to make their new world more "accessible" to new readers who would have trouble finding such places on a map. Let's hear it straight from the mouths of the DC overlords..."In the time I've worked at DC Comics, I've witnessed any number of industry defining moments. But today, I bring you what is perhaps the biggest news to date.
Many of you have heard rumors that DC Comics has been working on a big publishing initiative for later this year. This is indeed an historic time for us as, come this September, we are relaunching the entire DC Universe line of comic books with all new first issues. 52 of them to be exact.
In addition, the new #1s will introduce readers to a more modern, diverse DC Universe, with some character variations in appearance, origin and age. All stories will be grounded in each character's legend - but will relate to real world situations, interactions, tragedy and triumph.
This epic event will kick off on Wednesday, August 31st with the debut of a brand new JUSTICE LEAGUE #1, which pairs Geoff Johns and Jim Lee, together for the first time. (Yes, this is the same week as FLASHPOINT #5.)
We think our current fans will be excited by this evolution, and that it will make jumping into the story extremely accessible to first-time readers - giving them a chance to discover DC's characters and stories.
We are positioning ourselves to tell the most innovative stories with our characters to allow fans to see them from a new angle. We have taken great care in maintaining continuity where most important, but fans will see a new approach to our storytelling.
Some of the characters will have new origins, while others will undergo minor changes. Our characters are always being updated; however, this is the first time all of our characters will be presented in a new way all at once.
Dan DiDio, Bob Harras and Eddie Berganza have been working diligently to pull together some of the best creative teams in the industry. Over 50 new costumes will debut in September, many updated and designed by artist Jim Lee, ensuring that the updated images appeal to the current generation of readers.
The publication of JUSTICE LEAGUE #1 will also launch digital day-and-date for all ongoing superhero comic book titles - an industry first.
On Wednesday, June 1st, this initiative is expected to be announced in a nationwide feature article, and we're hopeful the news will be picked up by media outlets around the world. Throughout the month we'll reveal more details of our plans with articles in both the mainstream and comics press and on June 13th the Diamond catalog solicitations for all of the September titles will be released, followed by the June 29th street date of the print version of Previews.
DC Comics will support this initiative with an innovative mix of publicity, promotional efforts and retailer incentives designed to maximize your opportunity to increase your DC sales. We will discuss additional details of these incentives when we get closer to solicitation later in June.
We'll be updating you more through email as September nears. But today, I hope your share our enthusiasm for this historic news!
Sincerely,
Bob Wayne
SVP, Sales
DC Entertainment
Sooooo...can you say Heroes Reborn? We remember how well that one went. I'm actually baffled over this one. Granted I read no DC titles anymore beyond American Vampire, so perhaps the things that drove me away became apparent to those creating the comics? Will the constant cycle of super events finally come to an end? After a bomb drop like this, what happens next is anyone's guess.
I thought at one point DC was to have a series that told stories from the various 52 Parallel Earth's. It would have been like Elseworld's. Now the Flashpoint story threatens the events of the 52 Earth's and the time line has shifted? So this new jump start, what Earth is it on or is it multiple Earth's we will see? Good thin I cut back on my DC comic books. I don't know if I want to go through another mid-80's style of relaunch.
ReplyDelete"JIM LEE DESIGNED COSTUMES"??????
ReplyDeleteyeah, because the new WW duds went over **SO** well!
(ok, I liked it better withOUT the jacket!)
I told my dealer that I don't want Flashpoint in my pull for the first two issues, but now it seems readers MUST read it to understand the "relaunch"?
They do realize that this is also a great JUMPING OFF POINT for readers? @_@