After a reality-altering crossover in Dark Nights: Death Metal over the last few months and a look into the future with DC Future State in January and February of next year, DC will chart a new path in its regular ongoing titles in March, starting with a one-shot called Infinite Frontier that’ll kick everything off.
“Infinite Frontier #0 really feels like the beginning of a new era of DC Comics, a time when anything is possible,” said writer Joshua Williamson. “We’re taking the aftermath of Dark Nights: Death Metal and combining it with the best things we love as storytellers about the DC Universe, resulting in bold, fun, and exciting new directions. There are a lot of teases to new story lines, surprises, and mysteries for the year set up in Infinite Frontier #0 that you won’t want to miss.”
Dc has already revealed new titles and creative teams for March over the last few weeks, and the release of their solicitations for that month lay it all out. Here’s a rundown of what to expect:
As these things tend to do, the Infinite Frontiers #0 one-shot will tease future stories and plotlines for all of DC’s various books. It’ll be an anthology, with stories by:
- Joshua Williamson, Scott Snyder, and James Tynion IV with John Timms
- Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez
- Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad with Alitha Martinez
- Geoff Johns and Todd Nauck
- Joshua Williamson and Alex Maleev
- James Tynion IV and Jorge Jimenez
- Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Jamal Igle
And here are some stories teased in DC’s press release:
- An unthinkable, unexpected attack by the Joker makes him the target of a worldwide dragnet with ex-cop Jim Gordon in hot pursuit in the ongoing series The Joker by James Tynion IV and Guillem March
- Spinning out of her breakout appearances in Future State: Wonder Woman and Future State: Superman/Wonder Woman, a young Yara Flor begins the search for her destiny and connection to the Amazons
- It’s orientation day at Titans Tower as Tim Sheridan and Rafa Sandoval introduce a new group of teen heroes (including the future Red X) to the original New Teen Titans, setting the table for the duo’s Teen Titans Academy series in March
- The adventures of the Justice League continue (beginning with Justice League #59), now written by Brian Michael Bendis with David Marquez, with new JL members, including Black Adam, Hippolyta, and Naomi
- Wonder Woman ventures into the “godsphere,” creating an exciting new storyline by Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad and Travis Moore, continuing in March’s Wonder Woman #770
- Award-winning writer Geoff Johns and Todd Nauck tell an all-new Stargirl story
Probably the biggest surprise there — but maybe not — is the Stargirl story written by her co-creator, Johns, and Nauck.
DC isn’t currently publishing a Stargirl comic and one hasn’t been announced, at least not yet. But considering she has her own show on The CW, I wouldn’t be surprised to see one sometime next year.
OK, now getting into DC’s regular titles, let’s start with the Big Red “S.” With Brian Michael Bendis moving on from both Action Comics and Superman, DC announced that Phillip Kennedy Johnson, writer of The Last God and Future State: Superman: Worlds of War, will take over writing both titles.
“I can’t begin to describe what an honor it is to be writing Superman and Action Comics,” said Johnson, “especially following one of my industry heroes, Brian Michael Bendis. One of my very earliest memories is the thrill I felt watching the Christopher Reeve Superman films for the first time. My goal for every issue will be to give readers that same physical reaction, and the same lofty aspirations that Superman inspires: the desire to be better than we are, and to do more than the world thinks we can do.”
Johnson’s first story will be a two-parter, “The Golden Age,” that runs through the March issues of both Superman and Action, featuring artwork by Phil Hester and Eric Gapstur. Both comics will also include a “Tales of Metropolis” back-up feature, by Sean Lewis and Sami Basri, and then Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad with artist Michael Avon Oeming, respectively.
And after “The Golden Age,” Johnson will be joined by Scott Godlewski on Superman and Daniel Sampere on Action Comics before reuniting with Future State: Superman: Worlds of War co-creator Mikel Janín on an as-yet-unannounced Superman project.
“The work I’m doing now with Phil Hester, Scott Godlewski, and Daniel Sampere is already some of my favorite of my career,” Johnson said. “All three are wizards on the page, and the massive event that we’re building up to in Action Comics is a considerably bigger swing than I ever expected to get in comics. It’s no exaggeration to say it will change Superman’s status quo forever and have a lasting impact across the entire DC Universe. The already iconic Future State: Superman: Worlds of War artwork that you’ve seen from Mikel Janín in recent months is just the tip of the iceberg of what he and I have planned together. Stay tuned, you will NOT want to miss what’s coming.”
As previously announced, Batman/Superman will also get a new creative team in March, as Gene Luen Yang and Ivan Reis take over the team-up title.
And speaking of Batman, James Tynion IV and Jorge Jimenez aren’t going anywhere — they will still be the creative team on Batman — but Detective gets gets a new writer, Mariko Tamaki, with Dan Mora on art. But both comics will also feature back-ups — Joshua Williamson and Gleb Melnikov are doing a two-part “Demon or Detective” story in the March Batman and Detective issues featuring Damian Wayne, as he leaves Gotham to find his mother. Damian has a new look:
But Damian isn’t the only Bat sidekick affected by these changes, as Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo will take over Nightwing with issue #78.
“Despite, awkwardly, killing him twice (in Injustice and DCeased),” said Taylor in a press release, “I’m a huge Nightwing fan. And I couldn’t be more excited to take on a hero I’ve always considered a DC A-lister. Our series is about showing that. It’s about putting Dick Grayson back on that pedestal where he belongs.”
Batgirl will appear in the comic as well, and (SPOILER) Nightwing might be getting a dog! Here’s the description from DC:
In Taylor and Redondo’s Nightwing run, Blüdhaven has elected a new mayor with the last name Zucco, which can’t be good for DC’s first sidekick and former Robin—but is it good for Blüdhaven? When Nightwing enlists Batgirl’s help in investigating the politician bearing the same name as the man who murdered his parents, she unearths details that will shock and fundamentally change the hero.
And here are some early preview pages:
“I’m not holding anything back from this project,” said Redondo. “Nightwing means kinetic potential, evolution, and a positive assertiveness more than any other character I’ve worked on…and that’s the kind of hero we all need right now. Working with Tom on Nightwing is the perfect evolution for us as a team! We have incredible ideas for Dick Grayson’s new adventures.”
DC also announced this week a new creative team for Flash — Jeremy Adams and Brandon Peterson. They’ll take over with March’s Flash #768, in a story that features Wally West hanging up his uniform to focus on his family.
“There’s some dispute about who would win in a race against Wally and Barry,” said Adams, “but let’s just say it’s a question that starts this new adventure. I’ve tried to pour all of my excess enthusiasm into writing a story that explores some of the crazy sci-fi elements that Flash books are known for. So, race to the store and pick one up… or two… or three…”
Finally, DC’s solicitations today brought confirmation on the creative team and roster for the Justice League, as Brain Michael Bendis and David Marquez take over the title with issue #59. That’s the wraparound variant cover above; here’s the regular cover:
The team includes Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Hippolyta, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Naomi, Hawkgirl and Black Adam. It will also feature a back-up tale by Ram V and Xermanico, featuring Justice League Dark.
These announcements follow on the heels of several others from the past few weeks about DC’s March titles, including new titles like Batman: Urban Legends, Titans Academy, Suicide Squad, Swamp Thing and The Joker, and new creative teams for Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn.