The Justice League at 60, Part 10: Rebirth on repeat

Tom Bondurant wraps up (for now) his series looking back at 60 years of the Justice League with a look at the most recent era.

Check out part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven, part eight and part nine of this series!

The New 52 lasted four years and nine months, from August 31, 2011 to May 25, 2016. On each of those Wednesdays, DC Comics released one universe-changing big-event issue and one issue of Justice League. In 2011 it was Flashpoint #5 and Justice League #1; and in 2016 it was Justice League #50 and the DC Universe Rebirth special. All were written by Geoff Johns, still one of DC’s main guiding forces even as his attention shifted away from comics. The DCU Rebirth issue kicked off a months-long apology-in-print marked by “Rebirth” banners on all of the superhero books’ covers. This publishing strategy aimed to reintroduce elements of the DC Universe which the New 52 had stripped away, including the pre-New 52 Superman – who, as a distinct character, had been living in a sort of multiversal fishbowl – and the classic version of Wally “Flash” West. Among other things, this meant that Superman was now the newest member of the Justice League, since he replaced his late New 52 predecessor.

Although those cover banners were gone by February 2018, in terms of continuity we may still be in the “Rebirth” era today. Among other things, DCU Rebirth set up Doomsday Clock, the 12-issue miniseries from Johns and Gary Frank. Going on sale November 22, 2017 (cover date January 2018), it would explain how Watchmen‘s Doctor Manhattan had changed the DC timeline into the New 52, and how he would change it back.

Well, back-ish.

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Orlando + Tinto investigate the death of compassion in ‘Commanders in Crisis’

The new series debuts from Image Comics in October.

Following his well-received runs on comics like Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman and Midnighter, Steve Orlando will next take his superhero sensibilities to Image Comics for a creator-owned series, Commanders in Crisis, with artist Davide Tinto (IDW’s Marvel Action: Spider-Man).

Commanders in Crisis is all the energy and creativity I’ve served for the past five years, now completely unchained!” said Orlando. “No rules, no restraints, the type of strange and passionate ideas that brought me into the medium in the first place. Comics should be bold, comics should be big, and comics should be badass. This is my first freelance launch since 2015, and we’re taking a nuclear shot across the bow. No vanilla vengeance here! This is a fight for comics as they need to be.”

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Orlando + Tormey reopen the book of the ‘Darkhold’ at Marvel

The notorious tomb returns to the Marvel Universe — lands in the hands of Doctor Doom.

Former DC-exclusive writer Steve Orlando will make his debut for Marvel on a book of mystical proportions — Darkhold, named for the evil text that exists within the Marvel Universe. Darkhold Alpha #1, which suggests it’s tied to a bigger event, will come out in June.

Orlando will team with artist Cian Tormey on the comic, which features a cover by Greg Smallwood.

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DC announces line-up for milestone ‘Wonder Woman’ #750

Greg Rucka, Gail Simone, Joëlle Jones and more contribute to the Amazon’s anniversary celebration.

Wonder Woman’s 750th issue arrives in January, and DC has revealed an all-star line-up of talent to help her celebrate.

The 96-page issue will include contributions from popular Woman Woman scribes Greg Rucka and Gail Simone, as well as Vita Ayala, Marguerite Bennett, Jeff Loveness, Kami Garcia, Shannon and Dean Hale, Mariko Tamaki  and current Wonder Woman writer Steve Orlando.

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DC Comics goes nuclear this Christmas

‘DC Nuclear Winter Special’ features 10 holiday stories set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

DC Comics will continue their holiday on-shot tradition, albeit with a somewhat radioactive theme this year — DC Nuclear Winter Special will arrive in comic shops and bomb shelters in November.

Like in previous years, the holiday special will feature various characters from the DC Universe, all in stories featuring a “nuclear winter” theme. The release says it’ll include stories starring Batman, Superman and Flash, while the cover also shows Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn and Kamandi (the latter of which makes perfect sense).

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Kirby’s Great Disaster provides the backdrop for ‘Electric Warriors’

Steve Orlando and Travel Foreman head back to the future for a six-issue miniseries debuting in November.

Steve Orlando and Travel Foreman will revisit Jack Kirby’s classic Great Disaster — as detailed in the King’s work on Kamandiin a new miniseries titled Electric Warriors.

“Like Overwatch or Battle Royale, Electric Warriors will feature a team of unique, memorable leads representing a wide spectrum of readers in a setting rife with danger and adventure,” said Orlando. “This is the unexplored future of Jack Kirby’s DC Universe, rising from the Great Disaster of Kamandi. If the Legion of Superheroes is the universe’s Age of Enlightenment, the setting of Electric Warriors is more akin to the Dark Ages.”

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‘Milk Wars’ pits DCU vs. Young Animal … and milk, apparently

Heroes from both lines will team up in a weekly series of specials.

Get your milk mustache ready — the DC Universe and the Young Animal line will meet up next year in ‘Milk Wars,’ a story that will run through five specials.

First announced in San Diego this past July, Vertigo Executive Editor Mark Doyle and writer Steve Orlando shared more details at the New York Comic Con this week.

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‘Dark Matter’ becomes ‘New Age of DC Heroes,’ adds two titles

Dark Knights: Metal serves not only as a crossover event featuring some bad, bad Batmans, but also as the springboard for a new line of comics — a line featuring top talent who will have equity in the comics they’re creating.

Previously announced as “Dark Matter,” at the New York Comic Con DC Comics announced they’ve renamed this new publishing initiative as “New Age of DC Heroes.” They’ve also added two new titles to the mix, taking the line up to seven.

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Young Animal books to cross over with DC Universe

Doom Patrol to meet the Justice League in January, courtesy of Gerard Way, Steve Orlando and ACO.

At Comic-Con International today, Gerard Way, curator of the Young Animal line at DC Comics, announced that Doom Patrol, Shade the Changing Girl, Mother Panic and Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye will cross over into the DC Universe, starting with the Doom Patrol meeting Justice League of America.

The first of the four-part crossover, Doom Patrol Special arrives in January after the line takes a brief hiatus that starts in October. This issue will be co-written by Way and Steve Orlando, with art by ACO and cover art by Frank Quitely. It’ll also feature Milkman Man:

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