First DC Comics Rebirth Details Officially Released

The DC Comics Rebirth begins in May 2016 with an 80-page one-shot written by Geoff Johns. The book is appropriately titled DC Universe Rebirth, and Johns hopes it will begin to restore a sense of “legacy” to the DC Universe. He announced the one-shot and general details at the ComicsPRO retailer event. The story starts with the line, “I love this world… But there’s something missing…”

The writer, who also serves as Chief Creative Officer of DC Entertainment, and as a producer and writer on several DC/WB TV shows and Film projects, will leave Justice League ahead of the rebirth of the line, he also announced. His last issue will be #50, the final issue before it relaunches.

There will also be Rebirth Specials for Aquaman, Batman, The Flash, Green Arrow, Green Lanterns, Superman, Titans, and Wonder Woman in June, Batgirl & The Birds of Prey, Hal Jordan & the Green Lantern Corps, The Hellblazer, Justice League, Nightwing, and Red Hood and the Outlaws in July, and Batman Beyond, Blue Beetle, Cyborg, Deathstroke, Earth 2, Suicide Squad, Supergirl, Teen Titans, and Trinity in the more nebulous “Fall” release time-frame.

Every comic book in the entire DC Comics universe will relaunch with a new #1 issue (or simply end, or be replaced by another series). That is, except for Action Comics and Detective Comics, which will instead resume their classic numbering, picking up at #957 and #934, adding the New 52 issues to their total count. It’s been widely rumored that those two series, along with some others, would move to a twice-monthly shipping schedule, and that was also confirmed by DC Comics.

Other twice-monthly issues include: Aquaman, Batman, The Flash, Green Arrow, Green Lanterns, Superman, Wonder Woman, Hal Jordan & the Green Lantern Corps, Justice League, Nightwing, Cyborg, Deathstroke, Harley Quinn, Justice League America, and Suicide Squad. Details on the series and creative teams will be revealed at Wonder Con on March 26.

DCU books will return to a $2.99 price point across the line, as well, after their “Hold the line at $2.99” tagline was abandoned as some books rose to $3.99 over the last few years. Retailers, however, are somewhat skeptical about the price point change.

“If you have a proven record with success you don’t need to lower your prices,” Dennis Barger of Wonderworld Comics told ComicBook.com. “DC has to bring the price of the line down to $2.99 for retailers and fans to trust them again. And still, most retailers I know intend to be very cautious.”

Johns likens the DC Universe Rebirth more to The Flash: Rebirth and Green Lantern: Rebirth, books that focused on reimagining characters and continuing the legacy of the many decades of stories before them. DC Comics restored their previous versions of their universe in 2015’s stop-gap mini-series Convergence, and it seems this will build upon that, though Johns didn’t want to give any direct details just yet.

DC Comics will seek to work with both new and experienced talent, and also announced they’ve signed writer Tom King (Omega Men, Grayson) and artists Clay Mann and John Timms to exclusive contracts. Mann, a 10-year veteran of Marvel Comics and Valiant Comics, was called a “rising star” in DC’s announcement.

The “curtain” teaser image (seen above) was updated to include a curious collection of characters with the announcement. It appears to show a 90s-style Superboy (with the jacket as part of his costume), classic 40s-style Jay “The Flash” Garrick, A hooded figure presumed to be Green Arrow, Another Flash, probably Barry Allen, a female Green Lantern, and Supergirl. It’s notable that four of those characters are currently on TV in popular DC Entertainment and WBTV collaborations.

Here are the titles that you’ll see relaunched:

June:
Rebirth Specials:
AQUAMAN REBIRTH #1
BATMAN REBIRTH #1
THE FLASH REBIRTH #1
GREEN ARROW REBIRTH #1
GREEN LANTERNS REBIRTH #1
SUPERMAN REBIRTH #1
TITANS REBIRTH #1
WONDER WOMAN REBIRTH #1

New #1 Issues (Shipping twice monthly):
AQUAMAN #1
BATMAN #1
THE FLASH #1
GREEN ARROW #1
GREEN LANTERNS #1
SUPERMAN #1
WONDER WOMAN #1

New Issues (Shipping twice monthly):
ACTION COMICS #957
DETECTIVE COMICS #934

July
Rebirth Specials:
BATGIRL & THE BIRDS OF PREY REBIRTH #1
HAL JORDAN & THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS REBIRTH #1
THE HELLBLAZER REBIRTH #1
JUSTICE LEAGUE REBIRTH #1
NIGHTWING REBIRTH #1
RED HOOD & THE OUTLAWS REBIRTH #1

New #1 Issues (Shipping twice monthly):
HAL JORDAN & THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1
JUSTICE LEAGUE #1
NIGHTWING #1

New #1 Issues (Shipping monthly):
BATGIRL #1
BATGIRL & THE BIRDS OF PREY #1
THE HELLBLAZER #1
RED HOOD & THE OUTLAWS #1
THE SUPER-MAN #1
TITANS #1

Fall
Rebirth Specials:
BATMAN BEYOND REBIRTH #1
BLUE BEETLE REBIRTH #1
CYBORG REBIRTH #1
DEATHSTROKE REBIRTH #1
EARTH 2 REBIRTH #1
SUICIDE SQUAD REBIRTH #1
SUPERGIRL REBIRTH #1
TEEN TITANS REBIRTH #1
TRINITY REBIRTH #1

New #1 Issues (Shipping twice monthly):
CYBORG #1
DEATHSTROKE #1
HARLEY QUINN #1
JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA #1
SUICIDE SQUAD #1

New #1 Issues (Shipping monthly):
BATMAN BEYOND #1
BLUE BEETLE #1
EARTH 2 #1
GOTHAM ACADEMY: NEXT SEMESTER #1
SUPERGIRL #1
SUPERWOMAN #1
SUPER SONS #1
TEEN TITANS #1
TRINITY #1

Via DC