With still no sign of June’s Batman Family solicitations, one has to wonder whether DC Comics will really be announcing two new (probably but not definitely Batman) titles before their final solicitations hit the Web at 5 p.m. EST tomorrow.If not, and they’re stalled out at 50 monthly series, what does that mean for the New 52?First of all, of course, we’re nearing the two year mark in the new DC Universe, and many fans have joked that some of the shine is off the apple and maybe it isn’t really the “New 52” anymore to begin with. If it’s also no longer 52 titles, will DC feel obliged to rebrand?And if they don’t, will that send readers a message that the New 52 is a status quo that will eventually fade away? Certainly if it’s no longer new and no longer 52 titles, keeping those banners on every issue will lead some fans to speculate (perhaps wishfully, but whatever) that the New 52 is something that will go away and revert to the old (or another new) universe when that banner inevitably vanishes. It’s arguably one of the risks they took in branding it as “New” rather than “After,” as was the industry and fan shorthand when discussing the Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths DCU.It seems unlikely that DC will remove the New 52 branding, if only because when they choose to do so it doesn’t seem likely it will be a time when it appears they were forced into it. That sends the wrong message. So–let’s say for the sake of argument that conventional wisdom around the comics industry is correct and there are probably some titles on the way.What might they be? Which characters are DC trying to situate for big stories? Who has been teased recently?Well, there’s Booster Gold, although it seems unlikely we’ll get another Booster Gold solo series so soon after the one that just ended. A safe bet would be Trinity of Sin: The Question, since there are two other Trinity of Sin monthlies that will be published in June. Some more obvious choices are things like Batman and the Outsiders (referenced in Green Arrow #18) and Brave and the Bold.Another interesting idea could be a digital-first or digital-only series set in the universe of the New 52. Launching one would make it immediately a notable book in that it would be the first one that exists and it would also be an opportunity fo rDC to try something that might not work in print, like an anthology or war title (now that we’ve seen those effectively eliminated from the New 52).
