Tag: DC Comics

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.

Continue reading “DC announces more issues of ‘Represent!’”

The State of Future State, Part 1

JK, Shane and Tom take a look at DC’s Future State titles, starting with ‘The Next Batman,’ ‘Superman of Metropolis,’ ‘Wonder Woman’ and ‘Flash.’

DC officially kicked off Future State earlier this month, and the comics we’ve seen give a rough — emphasis on “rough” for some heroes — idea of what possible futures look like for their characters. This line-wide event, or publishing initiative, or whatever we want to call it, will go on through February and has replaced their regular titles until March.

With the event now in full gear, Shane Bailey, Tom Bondurant and I decided to discuss each one, roundtable style. Also, since the titles are all set at different times — some are just a few years into the future, while others jump forward thousands of years — I thought it might help to share this timeline of when each one is set:

I know it has helped us as we’ve been reading them.

So let’s get started …

Continue reading “The State of Future State, Part 1”

DC Universe Infinite launches this week

The service eliminates some features as it focuses exclusively on comics.

DC’s revised and rebranded comics subscription service, DC Universe Infinite, will officially launch this Thursday. Formerly known as DC Universe, the service will feature comics, as its video programming, like Titans, Doom Patrol and the Young Justice cartoon, have all moved over to HBO Max.

In addition, the community forum can be found outside the app at community.dcuniverseinfinite.com, while the store will also live at a new web address: https://shop.dccomics.com/. It’s up and running with several T-shirt designs, masks and more.

DC Universe Infinite will be available for iPhone, iPad, Android Phone and Tablets and online for web and mobile web at dcuniverseinfinite.com. Some platforms it was on before, like Apple TV and XBox, for example, no longer carry the app as of last month.

So, for the service itself, that leaves comics, and DC is adding a whole bunch of them to the service this week.

Continue reading “DC Universe Infinite launches this week”

Mail Call | DC reveals more details on April’s relaunch of ‘Green Lantern’

A round-up of recent news on ‘Aliens,’ DC Future State, IDW’s Canto and more.

Mail Call is a roundup of the announcements we’ve received from comics publishers in our mailboxes recently that we haven’t already covered. Hit the links for more information.

When Green Lantern returns later this year after the events of Future State, Geoffrey Thorne and Dexter Soy will chart a new path for John Stewart, Sojourner “Jo” Mullein from Far Sector and Teen Lantern, the hacker Green Lantern who appeared in Young Justice.

Here’s how DC describes the first issue: With the majority of Green Lanterns called back to Oa, John Stewart arrives alongside Teen Lantern Keli Quintela, whose homemade gauntlet could be one of the most powerful and unstable weapons in the universe. With the entire landscape of the universe in flux, is this the end of the Green Lantern Corps…or a new beginning?

Continue reading “Mail Call | DC reveals more details on April’s relaunch of ‘Green Lantern’”

‘Hardened and thick’ Batman heads to Europe in ‘Batman: The Dark Knight’ miniseries

Tom Taylor and Andy Kubert send Batman to the UK on a very personal mission this April.

Ton Taylor and Andy Kubert are taking Batman on a European vacation this April — only it’s not the present-day Batman, but an older, “hardened” version of the character.

Batman: The Dark Knight features a Bruce Wayne with “a lifetime of broken bones but not a broken spirit” heading to the United Kingdom for a very personal mission.

“This series is a different take on the character than I had done before,” said Kubert. “Every story that I have done with Batman has been different in tone, and the art takes on a life of its own as the story dictates. Batman and Son, Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader and Dark Knight III-The Master Race along with Flashpoint Batman, had their own look and feel for that particular story. Batman: The Dark Knight is no different.”

Continue reading “‘Hardened and thick’ Batman heads to Europe in ‘Batman: The Dark Knight’ miniseries”

Robin leaps out into his own series by Williamson + Melnikov

The new ongoing will launch in April.

Damian Wayne will become the latest Robin to branch out into his own ongoing series, courtesy of Joshua Williamson and Gleb Melnikov.

“Being a big fan of Damian Wayne, I’m really excited about getting him back on a hero’s journey,” Williamson said. “Gleb is the perfect artist to tell this story as we show readers Damian’s growth, in a new adventure that navigates his legacy, his connections to Batman, Talia Al Ghul and kicks off an important story in the DC Universe.”

Robin, now unaffiliated with either Batman or the Teen Titans, will investigate something called the League of Lazarus tournament, which he plans to enter and win to “prove he is the greatest fighter in the DC Universe.”

Continue reading “Robin leaps out into his own series by Williamson + Melnikov”

Tim Fox gets an origin story in ‘The Next Batman: Second Son’

One of Future State’s breakout characters will get a Digital First series and a deluxe hardcover later this year.

As Tim Fox battles the Magistrate in Future State: The Next Batman, DC has announced where you’ll be able to see him next — in The Next Batman: Second Son, a DC Digital First series that’ll reveal some of his back story before he put the cape on.

According to DC: Now that the world knows Tim Fox is behind the mask fighting against The Magistrate in Gotham City, what’s the truth behind his origin and his connection to the current DC Universe? Featuring art by Tony Akins (Jack of Fables), Travel Foreman (Animal Man, Birds of Prey) and Mark Morales (Justice League, Deathstroke, REPRESENT!/”It’s A Bird”) this miniseries answers the questions behind Tim’s estrangement from Lucius Fox and the rest of the Fox family and his evolution from man of mystery to Gotham’s newest guardian.

Continue reading “Tim Fox gets an origin story in ‘The Next Batman: Second Son’”

Tom and Carla lock down 2020

Tom Bondurant and Carla Hoffman review the year that was for Marvel and DC, while looking toward the future for both companies.

From 2009 to 2015, Tom Bondurant and Carla Hoffman collaborated on year-in-review posts centered around DC and Marvel. Circumstances kept them apart for a while; but it turns out that being stuck in your house for months on end can also help you reconnect. Therefore, Smash Pages proudly presents the return of an annual tradition, as Tom & Carla lock down 2020!

[This conversation has been edited from an extended Slack chat that occurred in December.]

Carla: Okay, so main topics for the year I see right up front are production (company decisions, strategies, etc), story (what’s actually happening in the comics) and media (TV and movie stuff).

Anything else this doesn’t cover? What’s the most important of these do you think?

Tom: I would say the production side of things – shutting down Diamond for six weeks, plus all the DC layoffs and cancellations, and DC changing distributors twice (or at least 1 1/2 times). Didn’t Marvel have some cancellations as well? Feels like Marvel had a low-key year event-wise, although it went from Empyre to X Of Swords to King In Black.

Continue reading “Tom and Carla lock down 2020”

DC sails into an ‘Infinite Frontier’ in 2021

New creative teams and directions arrive in March, along with a one-shot to kick it all off.

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:

Continue reading “DC sails into an ‘Infinite Frontier’ in 2021”

DC announces ‘Superman: Red & Blue’ anthology miniseries

The series will feature stories told in red and blue.

If Batman has his Black & White series, then naturally Superman would get a “red & Blue” one. DC announced this week Superman: Red & Blue, an anthology miniseries featuring the Man of Steel told in shades of red and blue (or magenta and cyan, to be specific).

The first issue will include a Clark Kent story by John Ridley, whose name is all over DC lately, with artist Clayton Henry. Brandon Easton and Steve Lieber will have a “street level” story set in Metropolis.

Continue reading “DC announces ‘Superman: Red & Blue’ anthology miniseries”

DC celebrates 80 years of Wonder Woman with new digital series

‘Sensational Wonder Woman’ will launch in January.

DC will launch a new “digital first” series in January featuring ‘free of continuity’ stories about Wonder Woman.

Sensational Wonder Woman will be a “reader-friendly, high action series,” according to the press release, featuring the star of DC’s latest film. It’s also just in time for her 80th anniversary.

Continue reading “DC celebrates 80 years of Wonder Woman with new digital series”

Mail Call | Marvel celebrates 80 years of Captain America

A round-up of news and announcements from Marvel, DC, Top Shelf, Z2 Comics, AfterShock and more.

Mail Call is a roundup of the announcements we’ve received from comics publishers in our mailboxes recently that we haven’t already covered. Hit the links for more information.

Marvel will pay tribute to the 80th anniversary of Captain America next year with a special project involving John Cassaday, Alex Ross, Marguerite Sauvage, David Lapham, Declan Shalvey and many more. Captain America Tribute #1, coming from Marvel in March, will feature a bunch of current artists redrawing both Captain America Comics #1 and Avengers #4, with each page by a different artist.

Continue reading “Mail Call | Marvel celebrates 80 years of Captain America”