If I Ran DC: The DC Relaunch Re-Imagined

Well, as it sometimes happens, on days that are a little slower than others, the guys at the shop start talking about this. One day, a few months back, my friend and co-worker Randy Lander proposed an experiment. A What If, if you will, on what the DC Relaunch would look like if we were the ones behind the editor's desk. There were several caveats: First of all, we had to stay somewhat within reality. By which I mean, we assumed that a lot of folks already had contracts with DC, so almost anyone who had been on books before the relaunch and was still on books after the relaunch, we had to use. Also, we couldn't just grab anybody we wouldn't be able to get. Nobody who's a Marvel exclusive, there was no way Mark Millar was going to work for DC, etc.

We also decided to tweak a few big things. For one, we went reboot, not relaunch. We're going with a sort of Brave and the Bold approach, where there's a history, and we'll explore it as it becomes relevant, but we're not assuming that any of the stories previously happened. Basically, unless it's specifically mentioned in the new stories, assume that it hasn't happened. This is a little more flexible than it probably should be, less specific than the "5 year timeline," but it is sort of the opposite of what DC went with, which is "assume it happened unless we outright tell you it didn't."


There's also the fact that we each decided to create a new imprint. I created a space-themed one called Mystery in Space while Randy took the opportunity to create an All-Ages imprint that is fairly spectacular.


You should definitely check out Randy's half on his site, Inside Joke Theater.


So, without further ado...Well, before that I should probably clarify that this is all done in fun. Many of the sections I got had books that were already fairly stellar, so I didn't change much. Tweaks were made though and I hope people enjoy the exercise.

JUSTICE LEAGUE IMPRINT

JUSTICE LEAGUE #1

Written by GEOFF JOHNS

Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS

1:25 Variant cover by DAVID FINCH

RETROSOLICITED • On sale AUGUST 31 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US RATED T • Combo pack edition: $4.99 US

Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.

Comics superstars Geoff Johns and Jim Lee make history! In a universe where super heroes are strange and new, Batman has discovered a dark evil growing that requires him to unite the World Greatest Heroes!

This spectacular debut issue is also offered as a special combo pack edition, polybagged with a redemption code for a digital download of the issue.

JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #1

Written by JUDD WINICK & JOHN ROGERS

Art by AARON LOPRESTI and MATT RYAN

Cover by AARON LOPRESTI

On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

With the unnerving and growing presence of super beings around the world, the United Nations decides to put their differences aside and create a super group of their own to promote unity and trust, a group called Justice League International. The Guardian, Guy Gardner, August General in Iron, Fire, Ice, Vixen, and Rocket Red are tapped for duty, but who is Booster Gold and why does he keep saying that this group is a mistake? More importantly, why does Batman think he's right?

 

AQUAMAN #1

Written by GEOFF JOHNS

Art and cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO

On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The superstar creators from BLACKEST NIGHT and BRIGHTEST DAY reunite to take AQUAMAN to amazing new depths!

Aquaman has renounced the throne of Atlantis – but the sea will not release Arthur Curry so easily. Now, from a forgotten corner of the ocean emerges…The Trench! A broken race of creatures that should not exist, an unspeakable need driving them, The Trench will be the most talked-about new characters in the DC Universe!

 

THE FLASH #1

Written by KEITH GIFFEN and FRANCIS MANAPUL

Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL

Variant cover by IVAN REIS and TIM TOWNSEND

On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.

Wally West is one of the wealthiest men in the world. He's also the Fastest Man Alive. Quickly though, he's learning that being able to move in the blink of an eye can't solve every problem, especially with his new business venture with Kord Industries falling apart and a new villain who can be everywhere at once! Are the two connected? And why is Captain Cold helping our hero out? Who said being a hero was easy? 

 

GREEN ARROW #1

Written by SCOTT KOLINS

Art by MARCUS TO

Cover by SCOTT KOLINS

On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Oliver Queen is broke. The legacy that he had hoped to leave with Queen Industries is now a subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises. Angry at everyone, especially himself, Oliver Queen is a man on a mission. That mission: To get back to basics. With a fresh start and a move to Empire City, Queen takes to the streets and dishes out some much needed justice. He may be moving from the frying pan into the fire though as someone else has claimed Empire City as their own, the immortal...Vandal Savage!

 

WONDER WOMAN #1

Written by MATT WAGNER

Art and cover by ANDY KUBERT

Variant Cover by MATT WAGNER

On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

A New World Part 1 of 3. Diana Prince, daughter of Paradise Island, has gone missing. But not in the way you’d think. Having grown tired of being constrained and watched every moment of her life, she has fled the comforts of her home and escaped into the unknown wild of Los Angeles to the one man that she knows that she can trust, John Lynch. But who exactly is John Lynch and why is he helping her? Oh and yeah, what is Project A.R.E.S.? So many questions, so little time.

MISTER TERRIFIC #1

Written by GAIL SIMONE

Art by MIKEL JANIN

Cover by J.G. JONES

On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The world’s third-smartest man – and one of its most eligible bachelors – uses his brains and fists against science gone mad in this new series. Michael Holt is the head of a successful high-tech corporation and an institute that recruits and encourages the finest minds of the next generation to excel. As Mister Terrific he inhabits a world of amazement few others know exists, let alone can comprehend.

DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS #1

Written by PHIL HESTER

Art by JESUS MERINO

Cover by RYAN SOOK

It’s the start of a new series spotlighting some of the DC Universes’s most exciting super heroes! First up is Wesley Dodds, better known to his enemies as The Sandman. As dreams come to life all around the globe and begin to wreak havoc, it's up to one of the most reclusive heroes to step into death's door and put things right. But he can't just enter anyone's dreams, which is the problem. He now has to convince his ex-girlfriend, Helena Bertinelli that he knows what he's doing and convince her that she's the key to everything!

 

 

SUPERMAN IMPRINT

 

ACTION COMICS #1

Written by GRANT MORRISON

Art by RAGS MORALES and RICK BRYANT

Cover by RAGS MORALES

Variant cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS

On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T

Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.

The one and only Grant Morrison (ALL-STAR SUPERMAN) returns to Superman, joined by sensational artist Rags Morales (IDENTITY CRISIS), to bring you tales of The Man of Steel unlike any you’ve ever read! This extra-sized debut issue is the cornerstone of the entire DC Universe!

 

LUTHOR #1

Written by FABIAN NICIEZA

Art by PERE PEREZ

Cover by J.G. JONES

On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T

Two different people. Father and Son. Want superpowers? Need a rogue government toppled? An alien pest bothering you? Have a few billion dollars to spare? If so, then Luthor Corp, more specifically Lionel Luthor, is the person you need to talk to. If you want to talk about the secret history of the world over brunch while at the same time exploring the notion of pocket dimensions and their practical apllications, then Lex Luthor is who you seek.  Two sides of the same familial coin, and the fate of the DCU rests on their shoulders. Do not miss this one. 

 

SUPERGIRL #1

Written by PETER TOMASI

Art and Cover by MAHMUD ASRAR

On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

One minute the brash young teen was on Krypton, talking with friends, the next she was standing in the middle of a battle cruiser flying through space. With no idea of how it happened, Kara Zor-El is thrown into a fight she doesn't understand and with only one thought: Find Kal-El. Find Earth. But who is that and what is Earth? And what is that creature standing in the corner hissing?

SUPERMAN #1

Written by NEIL GAIMAN

Art by CLIFF CHIANG

On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The new adventures of Superman begin here! What is The Man of Steel’s startling new status quo? How does it affect Lois Lane and The Daily Planet? Why is he fighting a dragon above Metropolis? What are Jimmy and Perry up to? And why oh why is Clark Kent kissing Brenda Barda, movie star extraordinaire? Be here and find all of your questions answered.

 

 

GREEN LANTERN IMPRINT

 

GREEN LANTERN #1

Written by GEOFF JOHNS

Art by DOUG MAHNKE and CHRISTIAN ALAMY

Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO

Variant cover by GREG CAPULLO

On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.

The red-hot GREEN LANTERN team of writer Geoff Johns and artist Doug Mahnke introduce an unexpected new Lantern. One you'll never see coming.

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1

Written by DAN ABNETT & ANDY LANNING

Art by FERNANDO PASARIN and SCOTT HANNA

Cover by DOUG MAHNKE and CHRISTIAN ALAMY

On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Welcome to the Corps part 1 of 4. Katma Tui, hailing from Space Sector 1417, is the newest recruit to the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps. Training was tough, but her first day is a nightmare. Partnered with the human Jon Stewart and on a mission involving a group of dignitaries from The Spider Guild, a Manhunter assassin, and the realization that the great and mighty Green Lantern Sinestro, her idol and the reason she joined the corps, didn’t die a heroic death but has instead become an even bigger threat to the Universe...It will be a day that she won't soon forget.

 

SINESTRO CORPS #1

Written by PETER MILLIGAN and ETHAN VAN SCIVER

Art and cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER and CULLY HAMNER

On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+ 

The most lethal force of evil is stepping into the spotlight for the first time. Sinestro, long thought to have died a heroic death against the Manhunters, has returned...But he isn't alone and he's ready to take his rightful place as monarch of the Universe. Who can stand in his way?

 

GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #1

Written by TONY BEDARD

Art and cover by J. CALAFIORE

On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Kyle Rayner, under the express orders of Ganthet has secretly assembled the most powerful team in all the universe, selected from the full spectrum of corps. But can he even keep this volatile group together or will they end up killing each other when the worst fight of their lives come knocking at their door? 

 

 

DARK IMPRINT

 

SWAMP THING #1

Written by SCOTT SNYDER

Art and cover by YANICK PAQUETTE

On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

One of the world’s most iconic characters has returned to the heart of the DC Universe, and every step he takes will shake the foundations of the Earth! Alec Holland has his life back…but the Green has plans for it. A monstrous evil is rising in the desert, and it’ll take a monster of another kind to defend life as we know it!

 

ANIMAL MAN #1

Written by JEFF LEMIRE

Art by TRAVEL FOREMAN and DAN GREEN

Cover by TRAVEL FOREMAN

On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

Buddy Baker has gone from “super” man to family man – but is he strong enough to hold his family together when Maxine, his young daughter, starts to manifest her own dangerous powers? Find out in this dramatic new series from writer Jeff Lemire (SWEET TOOTH) and artist Travel Foreman (The Immortal Iron Fist).

 

FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. #1

Written by JEFF LEMIRE

Art by ALBERTO PONTICELLI

Cover by J.G. JONES

On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

It’s Frankenstein as you’ve never seen him before, in a dark new series from acclaimed writer Jeff Lemire (SWEET TOOTH) and artist Alberto Ponticelli (UNKNOWN SOLDIER)!

Frankenstein is part of a network of strange beings who work for an even stranger government organization: The Super Human Advanced Defense Executive! But can he protect the world from threats even more horrifying than himself? And since he’s vilified for who and what he is, will he even want to take on this mission?

I, VAMPIRE vs THE WORLD #1

Written by JOE HILL

Art and Cover by KYLE HOTZ

On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

Fighting a secret war for hundreds of years, vampire Andrew Stanton is feeling his age. The good news is that his battle is almost over...Or is it just beginning? With a new, more lethal breed of monster appearing all over the DC Universe, it seems that the rules have changed. But who is making these monsters and why is his ex-lover, Mary, the Queen of the Damned mysteriously back in his life? Didn't he kill her already?

  

RESURRECTION MAN #1

Written by DAN ABNETT and ANDY LANNING

Art by FERNANDO DAGNINO

Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO

On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

It’s the return of Mitch Shelly – and he’s still dead.

Resurrection Man can’t stay dead for long, though – and with each rebirth comes new and unexpected powers. But his many returns have not gone unnoticed, and forces are gathering to learn what’s so special about him – and to see which of them will finally stop Resurrection Man dead.

 

DEMON KNIGHTS #1

Written by PAUL CORNELL

Art by DIOGENES NEVES and OCLAIR ALBERT

Cover by TONY S. DANIEL

On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Set in the Dark Ages of the DC Universe, a barbarian horde is massing to crush civilization. It’s fallen to Madame Xanadu and Jason Blood, the man with a monster inside him, to stand in their way – though the demon Etrigan has no interest in protecting anyone or anything other than himself! It’ll take more than their own power to stop an army fueled by bloodlust and dark sorcery, and some very surprising heroes – and villains – will have no choice but to join the fray!

MYSTERY IN SPACE IMPRINT

THE CURIOUS CASE OF ADAM STRANGE

Written by STERLING GATES

Art by JOE BENNETT

On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

It's an Adam Strange like you've never seen before! On the run for the kidnapping of the Princess of Raan, Adam is being pursued across the universe by members of the Green Lantern Corps and other bounty hunters. But don't forget, things are not always as they seem.

HAWKMAN & THE OMEGA MEN

Written by ALEX KURTZMAN & ROBERT ORCI

Art and Cover by GREG TOCHINNI

On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Ranians, Durlans, and Thanagarians, Oh My! With relations between alien races at an all time low, the many inhabitants of the universe have decided to band together and keep the peace. Though noble, this does not always go to plan. Hence the need for a strike team that can respond to problems fast and resolve them with an appropriate amount of force.  However, their first day is not going well as someone is using Zeta Beam technology to target key members of parliment. It's a mystery that only Carter and Shyera Hall and their Omega Men team can solve!

THE CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN #1

Written by MARC ANDREYKO and JIMMY PALMIOTTI

Art by AMANDA CONNER

On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Four friends, Karen Starr, Ralph Dibny, Raymond Terrill, & Patrick Dugan, are  unstuck in time and space. Using technology stolen from a man named Rip Hunter and their own innate abilities, they explore worlds and realities that have never even be concieved by the human mind. Trouble always seems to find them though and now they've found something impossibly alien...Something called The Bleed.

LOBO #1

Written by KEITH GIFFEN

Art by PHILLIP TAN

On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The Emerald Eye of Ekron is one of the crassest bars in all of the galaxy, but it's owner, the one and only Lobo wouldn't have it any other way. He's given up the life of bounty hunting and replaced it with nights filled with fights, horrible grub, and drinks that taste like they were made from a trillion year old Space Dolphin. Then one night a man walks in and tells him that he has 60 seconds to live unless his directions are followed exactly. Yeah, this is going to end well for everyone!