DC Comics Lineup Discussion
Hey CTG readers,
If you haven’t seen yet, DC announced today that they be ending the New 52 in June and revamping their entire line with 24 new series. Here they are!
Batman Beyond - W: Dan Jurgens, A: Bernard Chang
Bat-Mite - W: Dan Jurgens, A: Corin Howell
Bizarro - W: Heath Corson, A: Gustavo Duarte
Black Canary - W: Brenden Fletcher, A: Annie Wu
Constantine: The Hellblazer - W: Ming Doyle & James Tynion IV, A: Riley Rossmo
Cyborg - W: David Walker, A: Ivan Reis
Dark Universe - W: James Tynion IV, A: Ming Doyle
Green Lantern: Lost Army - W: Cullen Bunn, A: Jesus Saiz & Javi Pina
Doomed - W: Scott Lobdell, A: Javier Fernandez
Earth 2: Society - W: Daniel Wilson, A: Jorge Jimenez
Dr. Fate - W: Paul Levitz, A: Sonny Liew
Harley Quinn/Power Girl - W: Jimmy Palmiotti & Amanda Conner, A: Stephane Roux
Justice League of America - W: Bryan Hitch, A: Bryan Hitch
Justice League 3001 - W: Keith Giffen, A: Howard Porter
Martian Manhunter - W: Rob Williams, A: Ben Oliver
Midnighter - W: Steve Orlando, A: ACO
Mystic U - W: Alisa Kwitney, A: Stay tuned for artist info!
Omega Men - W: Tom King, A: Alec Morgan
Prez - W: Mark Russell, A: Ben Caldwell
Red Hood/Arsenal - W: Scott Lobdell, A: Denis Medri
Robin, Son of Batman - W: Patrick Gleason, A: Patrick Gleason
Section Eight (limited series) - W: Garth Ennis, A: John McCrea
Starfire - W: Jimmy Palmiotti & Amanda Conner, A: Emanuela Lupacchino
We Are Robin - W: Lee Bermejo, A: Khary Randolph
Wow. This lineup really makes me feel like I don’t know anything about the DC universe. They seem to be bringing their more obscure characters to the forefront and I like that. It’s good that they’re bringing strong diversity to their line instead of having 4 Batman titles, 5 Green Lantern titles, etc. Now, it’s time for me give my thoughts on all the series I have thoughts on!
Batman Beyond: I love the Batman Beyond T.V. show but this title doesn’t interest me that much. First off, I don’t adore Bernard Chang’s art. I’ve followed his work on Green Lantern Corps and his style was just way too cartoony to me. I don’t think it’ll fit the tone of Batman Beyond and the differences between his art and the T.V. show animation will be too drastic for me. That’s a personal thing but it would bother me nonetheless. As for the writing, I don’t think that Dan Jurgens is that strong a writer. I’ve read a bit of his Aquaman and the Others and it was really bland to me. There wasn’t anything unique or captivating so I ended up dropping it after 2 issues. Unfortunately, that seems to be common for projects he works on. Essentially, I’m not too excited for this book because of the creative team and the fact that I don’t need any more Batman Beyond.
Bat-Mite: Here’s a character that I don’t know much about. I just did a little bit of research and he seems like a very strange choice for a solo series. I’ve never seen him in a comic so I’m not in any position to judge but I’m certainly curious. But I don’t think I’ll be picking this one up. I’m a little skeptical on the character and as previously stated, I’m not a big Dan Jurgens guy.
Bizarro: This title is a little confusing to me. I like Bizarro and his recent appearance in Forever Evil was perfect way of portraying the character and incorporating him into a story. But for a solo series? I don’t know. Dan Didio said they are going to take a humoristic approach to the series which makes sense, Bizarro isn’t a character that I really take seriously. Though, doing some research on the creative team, I’m definitely hesitant about this series. W- Heath Corson’s only work is the recent DC animated movies. All 3 of which I found extremely underwhelming and dull. Oh well. Not every series is going to interest me.
Black Canary: Yes, yes yes. I’m calling it right now, this book is going to be great. It has Brender Fletcher, the writer of the amazing Batgirl series, so I’ve heard anyway. I’ve also heard that it’s stylistically like Hawkeye, not really being a superhero comic. Coincidentally, one of the penciller of Hawkeye, Annie Wu is onboard for this series. I’m very excited for this book, I think it’ll be a standout amongst this lineup.
Constantine: The Hellblazer: Ok, I’m nitpicking but why couldn’t it just have been Hellblazer? I know, the T.V. show is called Constantine but that might not even be renewed unfortunately… So, about this comic. I’m excited. I’ll definitely be picking it up come June. I’m a big Constantine fan now the show has open my eyes to the character and I think he was in dire need of a revamp. I read a few New 52 issues and had a hard time getting through them. I thought they were quite bad. As for the creative team, Ming Doyle isn’t an artist that I know particularly well and this seems to be her first writing gig. Though, to help her get off her feet, is writer James Tynion IV who is definitely a strong creative name. When I was reading Batman Eternal, his scripts were always my favourite. I think he’ll do a solid job on a Constantine book, so I’m definitely going to try this one out!
Cyborg: I think that fans have been begging for a Cyborg series since the debut of the New 52. He’s an awesome character that hasn’t gotten enough focus in a while but DC seem to finally be addressing our demands. David Walker is a relatively new writer, he’s doing a book called Shaft for Dark Horse right now, and it seems to be well-acclaimed from the reviews I just read. I’m hoping that DC have given this series to the right mind, but I wouldn’t doubt it that much. They’ve put an insane creator on the artistic side, Ivan Reis. This is an artist that has worked with Geoff Johns on Justice League, and Grant Morrison on Multiversity. He get the big books because he’s a big name and rightfully so. If DC didn’t believe this book is going to be great, I doubt they would put one of their biggest guns on it. This comic should be awesome, can’t wait!
Dark Universe: Looks like James Tynion and Ming Doyle are uniting again for this relaunch and rebrand of Justice League Dark. I never read that series but I heard a lot of praise for it while it was under Jeff Lemire’s pen. Hopefully Tynion will live up to his predecessor and deliver a solid book and I don’t doubt that he will. I’m just not a huge fan of the premise of this book and I can’t buy everything so I may not be checking it out. However, it’s got a great writer and for fans, this is something to anticipate.
Green Lantern: Lost Army: Ok, time for me to talk about the Green Lantern franchise. DC are pulling the right moves with this reboot in regards to Green Lantern. The book has gone through a storm of crossovers since the beginning of the New 52 and finally DC have toned down their Green Lantern output. Now, we only have 3 titles. Finally. Hopefully we won’t have to go through constant crossovers, but even if we do, I’m happy it’ll only be through 3 titles. Anyhow, I’m definitely going to pick this book up. The title alone intrigues me so much and sounds like a great story. To boost my excitement is the creative team of Cullen Bunn and Jesus Saiz. Cullen Bunn needs no convincing for me, he’s done a solid job on Sinestro and shows a solid handle on the Green Lantern universe as a whole so I’m positive the writing will be good on this title. But that’s not my most anticipated aspect of this book. Jesus Saiz, drawing space. Wow I can’t wait. This guy is phenomenal. His art on Swamp Thing is marvelous and seeing him explore the Green Lantern’s environment is a guaranteed treat. If you aren’t into Green Lantern, this is a book to pick up. It’ll convince you on visuals alone.
Doomed: Yeah, there is no way I’m picking this up. I’m not alone in saying that I don’t like Scott Lobdell. His Superman comics weren’t all that good and I’m assuming this one will be a sort of Superman book. The Doomed crossover as well was not something I greatly appreciated. I’m really not looking forward to this book, I’ll probably forget it exists by the time it comes out.
Earth 2: Society: I’ve never read any Earth 2 but I’ve heard Tom Taylor’s run is excellent. I do have to limit the quantity of comics I want to buy so I most likely won’t pick this one up based off of disinterest alone. Daniel Wilson is writing the Earth 2 weekly right now and it doesn’t seem to be met with much love. Hopefully fans will enjoy this book, though!
Dr. Fate: I hadn’t ever read anything with Doctor Fate in it until Grant Morisson’s second issue of Multiversity and now I love the character. He was such a badass in that issue and I’d love to read his solo-title. Paul Levitz is an experienced guy so hopefully he’ll do a good on this book. I’ll definitely be there to see.
Harley Quinn/Power Girl: This sounds like a fun team-up but I’ll have to pass. I’m not a huge fan of either characters or the creative team but maybe I’ll read it if a friends picks it up. I know that a lot of people like the current Harley Quinn book so fans of that one will probably want to check this one out!
Justice League of America: I was never interested in this book. Even when Geoff Johns was writing it. I read his first issue but it felt forced and flat to me. Bryan Hitch is an awesome artist but I don’t know if he’s a good writer. I heard his recent image series wasn’t too strong and maybe that’s an indication of his writing capabilities. Hopefully this comic will be good and fans will enjoy it, I most likely won’t be checking it out.
Justice League 3001: This looks like it’s a rebranding of Justice League 3000. I haven’t heard much about that book but I was never intrigued by it. However, those who did read and enjoy it, should pick this up!
Martian Manhunter: Like Cyborg, I think this is a series that a lot of us have been waiting for. Martain Manhunter has been severely underused in the New 52 and I’m happy that DC are correcting that with this new relaunch. I don’t know what Rob Williams’ writing is like but I love Ben Oliver’s art. His issue of Multiversity showcased his great talent and I think he’ll do a solid job with this book. This is a book to look out for.
Midnighter: Here is a character that, before this announcement I knew nothing about. But now that I’ve done some brief research, I think this character is AWESOME. Definitely someone who could do really well in his own series. Rising star Steve Orlando is writing this series and while I haven’t read Undertow, I saw that fellow writers at CTG have given it tons of praise. This series is extremely intriguing. It’s not something I would’ve picked up without doing my research but I’m glad I did. It looks awesome!
Red Hood/Arsenal: Awesome premise, great idea. But they hired Scott Lobdell. Another one to skip for me.
Robin, Son of Batman: This is a cool premise. Damian is certainly a character who deserves his own solo series. I’ve heard wonders of Patrick Gleason’s art but I’ve never heard anything about his writing. Hopefully it’ll be good. I may not pick this one up because I’m not into buying a bunch of Bat-books but I hope it’ll be enjoyable for those who are interested!
Section Eight: Garth Ennis is a name that will attract me to any book. I just finished reading Preacher and that book showed me just how well Ennis understands human beings. He may be the writer with the best character-writing of all time. So I can’t wait for this book. I haven’t read any of his Hitman because I can’t find the trades but I’d love to pick them up to get a taste of what this awesome book is going to be. Too bad it’s just a mini-series.
Aquaman by Cullen Bunn: This is really interesting. I would’ve never thought that Cullen Bunn would take the reigns to Aquaman’s solo-title but I like the idea. He’s definitely a strong writer and this book seems to be out of his comfort zone with villains but I’m interested. I’m very interested. Jeff Parker is awesome but I’m eager to see what Bunn can do, nonetheless.
Shazam by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank: I know this wasn’t announced, but come on, there’s no way this one isn’t happening. I wonder why this wasn’t part of today’s lineup but that doesn’t matter. I just read the graphic novel for the Shazam backups in Justice League and I fell in love with Johns portrayal of the character. I can’t wait for him to continue his story in this inevitable ongoing.
Superman by Gene Luen Yang: I’ve never read anything from this writer but Stephen from CTG loves him. I’m sure he’ll do a great job with my favourite superhero and I can’t wait to read this one!
That concludes all the thoughts I have about this new revamp. Overall, I think it’s a pretty good lineup and DC are making some good decisions with their books and creators. I’m glad that they’re emphasizing diversity over everything and I hope these books present higher quality than the current lineup. Let me know what you all think of this in comment section bellow or hit me up on twitter.
If you haven’t seen yet, DC announced today that they be ending the New 52 in June and revamping their entire line with 24 new series. Here they are!
Batman Beyond - W: Dan Jurgens, A: Bernard Chang
Bat-Mite - W: Dan Jurgens, A: Corin Howell
Bizarro - W: Heath Corson, A: Gustavo Duarte
Black Canary - W: Brenden Fletcher, A: Annie Wu
Constantine: The Hellblazer - W: Ming Doyle & James Tynion IV, A: Riley Rossmo
Cyborg - W: David Walker, A: Ivan Reis
Dark Universe - W: James Tynion IV, A: Ming Doyle
Green Lantern: Lost Army - W: Cullen Bunn, A: Jesus Saiz & Javi Pina
Doomed - W: Scott Lobdell, A: Javier Fernandez
Earth 2: Society - W: Daniel Wilson, A: Jorge Jimenez
Dr. Fate - W: Paul Levitz, A: Sonny Liew
Harley Quinn/Power Girl - W: Jimmy Palmiotti & Amanda Conner, A: Stephane Roux
Justice League of America - W: Bryan Hitch, A: Bryan Hitch
Justice League 3001 - W: Keith Giffen, A: Howard Porter
Martian Manhunter - W: Rob Williams, A: Ben Oliver
Midnighter - W: Steve Orlando, A: ACO
Mystic U - W: Alisa Kwitney, A: Stay tuned for artist info!
Omega Men - W: Tom King, A: Alec Morgan
Prez - W: Mark Russell, A: Ben Caldwell
Red Hood/Arsenal - W: Scott Lobdell, A: Denis Medri
Robin, Son of Batman - W: Patrick Gleason, A: Patrick Gleason
Section Eight (limited series) - W: Garth Ennis, A: John McCrea
Starfire - W: Jimmy Palmiotti & Amanda Conner, A: Emanuela Lupacchino
We Are Robin - W: Lee Bermejo, A: Khary Randolph
Wow. This lineup really makes me feel like I don’t know anything about the DC universe. They seem to be bringing their more obscure characters to the forefront and I like that. It’s good that they’re bringing strong diversity to their line instead of having 4 Batman titles, 5 Green Lantern titles, etc. Now, it’s time for me give my thoughts on all the series I have thoughts on!
Batman Beyond: I love the Batman Beyond T.V. show but this title doesn’t interest me that much. First off, I don’t adore Bernard Chang’s art. I’ve followed his work on Green Lantern Corps and his style was just way too cartoony to me. I don’t think it’ll fit the tone of Batman Beyond and the differences between his art and the T.V. show animation will be too drastic for me. That’s a personal thing but it would bother me nonetheless. As for the writing, I don’t think that Dan Jurgens is that strong a writer. I’ve read a bit of his Aquaman and the Others and it was really bland to me. There wasn’t anything unique or captivating so I ended up dropping it after 2 issues. Unfortunately, that seems to be common for projects he works on. Essentially, I’m not too excited for this book because of the creative team and the fact that I don’t need any more Batman Beyond.
Bat-Mite: Here’s a character that I don’t know much about. I just did a little bit of research and he seems like a very strange choice for a solo series. I’ve never seen him in a comic so I’m not in any position to judge but I’m certainly curious. But I don’t think I’ll be picking this one up. I’m a little skeptical on the character and as previously stated, I’m not a big Dan Jurgens guy.
Bizarro: This title is a little confusing to me. I like Bizarro and his recent appearance in Forever Evil was perfect way of portraying the character and incorporating him into a story. But for a solo series? I don’t know. Dan Didio said they are going to take a humoristic approach to the series which makes sense, Bizarro isn’t a character that I really take seriously. Though, doing some research on the creative team, I’m definitely hesitant about this series. W- Heath Corson’s only work is the recent DC animated movies. All 3 of which I found extremely underwhelming and dull. Oh well. Not every series is going to interest me.
Black Canary: Yes, yes yes. I’m calling it right now, this book is going to be great. It has Brender Fletcher, the writer of the amazing Batgirl series, so I’ve heard anyway. I’ve also heard that it’s stylistically like Hawkeye, not really being a superhero comic. Coincidentally, one of the penciller of Hawkeye, Annie Wu is onboard for this series. I’m very excited for this book, I think it’ll be a standout amongst this lineup.
Constantine: The Hellblazer: Ok, I’m nitpicking but why couldn’t it just have been Hellblazer? I know, the T.V. show is called Constantine but that might not even be renewed unfortunately… So, about this comic. I’m excited. I’ll definitely be picking it up come June. I’m a big Constantine fan now the show has open my eyes to the character and I think he was in dire need of a revamp. I read a few New 52 issues and had a hard time getting through them. I thought they were quite bad. As for the creative team, Ming Doyle isn’t an artist that I know particularly well and this seems to be her first writing gig. Though, to help her get off her feet, is writer James Tynion IV who is definitely a strong creative name. When I was reading Batman Eternal, his scripts were always my favourite. I think he’ll do a solid job on a Constantine book, so I’m definitely going to try this one out!
Cyborg: I think that fans have been begging for a Cyborg series since the debut of the New 52. He’s an awesome character that hasn’t gotten enough focus in a while but DC seem to finally be addressing our demands. David Walker is a relatively new writer, he’s doing a book called Shaft for Dark Horse right now, and it seems to be well-acclaimed from the reviews I just read. I’m hoping that DC have given this series to the right mind, but I wouldn’t doubt it that much. They’ve put an insane creator on the artistic side, Ivan Reis. This is an artist that has worked with Geoff Johns on Justice League, and Grant Morrison on Multiversity. He get the big books because he’s a big name and rightfully so. If DC didn’t believe this book is going to be great, I doubt they would put one of their biggest guns on it. This comic should be awesome, can’t wait!
Dark Universe: Looks like James Tynion and Ming Doyle are uniting again for this relaunch and rebrand of Justice League Dark. I never read that series but I heard a lot of praise for it while it was under Jeff Lemire’s pen. Hopefully Tynion will live up to his predecessor and deliver a solid book and I don’t doubt that he will. I’m just not a huge fan of the premise of this book and I can’t buy everything so I may not be checking it out. However, it’s got a great writer and for fans, this is something to anticipate.
Green Lantern: Lost Army: Ok, time for me to talk about the Green Lantern franchise. DC are pulling the right moves with this reboot in regards to Green Lantern. The book has gone through a storm of crossovers since the beginning of the New 52 and finally DC have toned down their Green Lantern output. Now, we only have 3 titles. Finally. Hopefully we won’t have to go through constant crossovers, but even if we do, I’m happy it’ll only be through 3 titles. Anyhow, I’m definitely going to pick this book up. The title alone intrigues me so much and sounds like a great story. To boost my excitement is the creative team of Cullen Bunn and Jesus Saiz. Cullen Bunn needs no convincing for me, he’s done a solid job on Sinestro and shows a solid handle on the Green Lantern universe as a whole so I’m positive the writing will be good on this title. But that’s not my most anticipated aspect of this book. Jesus Saiz, drawing space. Wow I can’t wait. This guy is phenomenal. His art on Swamp Thing is marvelous and seeing him explore the Green Lantern’s environment is a guaranteed treat. If you aren’t into Green Lantern, this is a book to pick up. It’ll convince you on visuals alone.
Doomed: Yeah, there is no way I’m picking this up. I’m not alone in saying that I don’t like Scott Lobdell. His Superman comics weren’t all that good and I’m assuming this one will be a sort of Superman book. The Doomed crossover as well was not something I greatly appreciated. I’m really not looking forward to this book, I’ll probably forget it exists by the time it comes out.
Earth 2: Society: I’ve never read any Earth 2 but I’ve heard Tom Taylor’s run is excellent. I do have to limit the quantity of comics I want to buy so I most likely won’t pick this one up based off of disinterest alone. Daniel Wilson is writing the Earth 2 weekly right now and it doesn’t seem to be met with much love. Hopefully fans will enjoy this book, though!
Dr. Fate: I hadn’t ever read anything with Doctor Fate in it until Grant Morisson’s second issue of Multiversity and now I love the character. He was such a badass in that issue and I’d love to read his solo-title. Paul Levitz is an experienced guy so hopefully he’ll do a good on this book. I’ll definitely be there to see.
Harley Quinn/Power Girl: This sounds like a fun team-up but I’ll have to pass. I’m not a huge fan of either characters or the creative team but maybe I’ll read it if a friends picks it up. I know that a lot of people like the current Harley Quinn book so fans of that one will probably want to check this one out!
Justice League of America: I was never interested in this book. Even when Geoff Johns was writing it. I read his first issue but it felt forced and flat to me. Bryan Hitch is an awesome artist but I don’t know if he’s a good writer. I heard his recent image series wasn’t too strong and maybe that’s an indication of his writing capabilities. Hopefully this comic will be good and fans will enjoy it, I most likely won’t be checking it out.
Justice League 3001: This looks like it’s a rebranding of Justice League 3000. I haven’t heard much about that book but I was never intrigued by it. However, those who did read and enjoy it, should pick this up!
Martian Manhunter: Like Cyborg, I think this is a series that a lot of us have been waiting for. Martain Manhunter has been severely underused in the New 52 and I’m happy that DC are correcting that with this new relaunch. I don’t know what Rob Williams’ writing is like but I love Ben Oliver’s art. His issue of Multiversity showcased his great talent and I think he’ll do a solid job with this book. This is a book to look out for.
Midnighter: Here is a character that, before this announcement I knew nothing about. But now that I’ve done some brief research, I think this character is AWESOME. Definitely someone who could do really well in his own series. Rising star Steve Orlando is writing this series and while I haven’t read Undertow, I saw that fellow writers at CTG have given it tons of praise. This series is extremely intriguing. It’s not something I would’ve picked up without doing my research but I’m glad I did. It looks awesome!
Red Hood/Arsenal: Awesome premise, great idea. But they hired Scott Lobdell. Another one to skip for me.
Robin, Son of Batman: This is a cool premise. Damian is certainly a character who deserves his own solo series. I’ve heard wonders of Patrick Gleason’s art but I’ve never heard anything about his writing. Hopefully it’ll be good. I may not pick this one up because I’m not into buying a bunch of Bat-books but I hope it’ll be enjoyable for those who are interested!
Section Eight: Garth Ennis is a name that will attract me to any book. I just finished reading Preacher and that book showed me just how well Ennis understands human beings. He may be the writer with the best character-writing of all time. So I can’t wait for this book. I haven’t read any of his Hitman because I can’t find the trades but I’d love to pick them up to get a taste of what this awesome book is going to be. Too bad it’s just a mini-series.
Aquaman by Cullen Bunn: This is really interesting. I would’ve never thought that Cullen Bunn would take the reigns to Aquaman’s solo-title but I like the idea. He’s definitely a strong writer and this book seems to be out of his comfort zone with villains but I’m interested. I’m very interested. Jeff Parker is awesome but I’m eager to see what Bunn can do, nonetheless.
Shazam by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank: I know this wasn’t announced, but come on, there’s no way this one isn’t happening. I wonder why this wasn’t part of today’s lineup but that doesn’t matter. I just read the graphic novel for the Shazam backups in Justice League and I fell in love with Johns portrayal of the character. I can’t wait for him to continue his story in this inevitable ongoing.
Superman by Gene Luen Yang: I’ve never read anything from this writer but Stephen from CTG loves him. I’m sure he’ll do a great job with my favourite superhero and I can’t wait to read this one!
That concludes all the thoughts I have about this new revamp. Overall, I think it’s a pretty good lineup and DC are making some good decisions with their books and creators. I’m glad that they’re emphasizing diversity over everything and I hope these books present higher quality than the current lineup. Let me know what you all think of this in comment section bellow or hit me up on twitter.
I WANT to be excited for Starfire because I love Kori to bits but Jimmy Palmiotti & Amanda Conner are not my favourite writers to put it nicely. I think a lot of their stuff is cheap, gimmicky, and does a disservice to their characters. I'm happy that Starfire is getting her own title, but I'm so terrified to what they're going to do to her. But with Lupacchino on art I want to be optimistic.
Same goes for Harley Quinn / Powergirl. I'm still pulling Harley because she's my (DC) lady but I can't see how the shenanigans they get into will hold for a whole series. Should have left it just at the story arc.
I might give Cullen Bunn's Aquaman a shot, because I love his work in general and I'm sure he'll do grand things. But I'm going to play it by ear.
And finally, I want to give Red Hood/Arsenal a shot. Yeah yeah, Scott Lobdell, but I like Red Hood and the Outlaws so I'm in. I'm just sad that Kori's leaving for her own solo.