‘The Conjuring: The Lover’ headlines a new horror imprint from DC

DC Horror will feature ‘new frightening tales from both well-known and new storytellers that will keep fans spooked and entertained.’

DC has announced they are launching a new horror imprint this summer, in conjunction with Warner Bros. Consumer Products. The first title, The Conjuring: The Lover, will kick off in June and ties into the WB film franchise of the same name.

“From early titles like House of Mystery and House of Secrets to current series featuring Swamp Thing and John Constantine: Hellblazer, DC has always been the home of great horror comics and characters,” said Marie Javins, DC editor-in-chief. “DC Horror continues this tradition with new frightening tales from both well-known and new storytellers that will keep fans spooked and entertained.”

Over the years DC has released many comic book adaptations, tie-ins and sequels for various films and television programs in the Warner Bros. library, including Lost Boys, Supernatural and probably more that I’m forgetting. The Conjuring: The Lover is the latest, and like many before it will fill in the gap between the last film and the next film — the upcoming The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.

The comic will be written by screenwriter David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and comics writer Rex Ogle with art by Garry Brown and covers by Bill Sienkiewicz.

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DC announces more issues of ‘Represent!’

Jesse Holland, Doug Braithwaite and more will contribute stories to the anthology series.

DC’s Represent!, a digital-first series that debuted last fall with a story about Christian Cooper’s encounter with a racist dog owner in Central Park, will return in February with five weekly issues.

DC created the series to “showcase and introduce creators traditionally underrepresented in the mainstream comic book medium.” They also offer non-fiction/slice of life stories versus the traditional superheroes you might expect from the publisher.

Represent! is the kind of innovative and personal storytelling I’ve always believed in,” said Marie Javins, DC editor-in-chief. “Throughout history, stories have been catalysts to expand hearts, minds and culture; having the chance to do so with this group of talented writers and artists has been invigorating and has been embraced throughout DC.”

Each issue will cost 99 cents and will be released on Mondays on comiXology and DC’s other digital platforms beginning Feb. 1.

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DC promotes Marie Javins to editor-in-chief; lay off more staff

Javins will serve as the permanent editor-in-chief after serving as co-interim EiC with Michele Wells, who is reportedly being let go from the company.

DC Comics started the week with the announcement that Marie Javins has been named the sole editor-in-chief, a role she had been sharing with Michele Wells since Bob Harris was let go in August. The news, which was generally well-received by the comics industry, was soon followed by reports that DC is again notifying staff of more layoffs.

And among those laid off appears to be Wells, according to The Beat and Bleeding Cool. Before serving jointly with Javins as co-interim EiC, Wells headed up the DC Children’s/Young Adult line.

Other names mentioned as being affected include Alex Carr, group editor for the Justice League titles; Sales Manager Stuart Schreck; Marketing Services Director Adam Phillips; and Events Director Fletcher Chu-Fong.

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‘Future State’ takes over DC’s line-up in January

DC will kick off 2021 by exploring the future of their universe for two months, with regular titles resuming in March.

Following the events of Dark Nights: Death Metal, which wraps up Jan. 5, DC will hit pause on their regular monthly titles for two months. In January and February, they’ll release a bunch of titles under the “DC Future State” banner, giving readers a glimpse at the future of the DC Universe.

“In DC Future State, the Multiverse has been saved from the brink of destruction, but the triumph of DC’s heroes has shaken loose the very fabric of time and space,” reads their press release. “The final chapter of Dark Nights: Death Metal brings new life to DC’s Multiverse, kicking off this glimpse into the unwritten worlds of DC’s future.”

They plan to resume with their regular titles in March.

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Christian Cooper writes a new comic about his Central Park encounter

The comics writer makes his return in the first issue of DC’s ‘Represent!’ which is now free to download.

DC has released the first issue of a planned digital-first series called Represent!, featuring a story by Christian Cooper, Alitha E. Martinez, Mark Morales, Emilio Lopez and Rob Clark Jr. “It’s a Bird” is available to download for free.

Cooper, a former Marvel editor, was thrown into the national spotlight earlier this summer when a white woman walking her dog in New York’s Central Park called the cops on him and said as African-American was threatening her life — just because he asked her to keep her dog on its leash. The incident occurred on the same day that George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His story in this first issue is a fictionalized account of that encounter.

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Jim Lee addresses rumors, future of comics publishing at DC

DC’s publisher talks about the past week and the future of comics in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

A week that started with layoffs at DC Comics ends with Publisher Jim Lee discussing many of the changes and rumors that sprang from Monday’s news.

Lee confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that he is indeed still in the role of DC’s publisher, noting that he has “more responsibilities and more expectations than ever before.” As a result, he’ll focus on creative content while a new general manager position will “focus on the operational side.” While he didn’t mention a name, he said that person will start in September, suggesting they’ve already been hired.

Here’s a rundown of what else Lee said:

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Comics Lowdown: Eric M. Esquivel fired from ‘Nightwing,’ ‘Border Town’ cancelled

Plus: Free Comics Book Day, George Freeman, Marie Javins and more!

Although it wasn’t yet announced, DC Comics has said Eric M. Esquivel will no longer co-write Nightwing. The news that Esquivel was writing the book was to be revealed today in DC’s January solicitations.

The news follows the cancellation of Border Town, a well-reviewed series Esquivel wrote with artists Ramon Villalobos and Tamra Bonvillain. Both Villalobos and Bonvillain announced on social media they had quit the title after allegations of sexual abuse against Esquivel became public. In a piece titled “X, my experience with my abuser,” toy designer Cynthia Naugle detailed a history of abuse by a co-worker at a comic shop, who has since been identified as Esquivel.

Neither DC Comics nor Vertigo have commented directly on the abuse allegations. Esquivel, who had changed his Twitter account to private following the allegations, has now made it public again and posted several tweets in response. At Book Riot, writer S.W. Sondheimer says she will no longer cover Vertigo titles as a result of their silence on the matter.

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