DC Comics Co-Publishers Dan Didio and Jim Lee both Tweeted a mysterious teaser image that suggests the company’s comic book lineup could be experiencing another big relaunch this year. The teaser features the word “Rebirth” projected onto a blue curtain.
When DC released their solicitations for April 2016 earlier this week, we noted how it was probably no coincidence that so many comics and storylines will be wrapping up in May, the same month that the last remaining batch of comics from the original New 52 lineup will be hitting the issue #52 mark. All signs pointed to another DC relaunch in June along the lines of last year’s “DC You” initiative. This teaser only adds further fuel to that fire.
The question is how broad the scope of this latest relaunch will be. If it’s comparable to DC You, we may see a number of books be canceled and replaced with new projects, while other ongoing series like Batman and Justice League continue on unchanged. Or “Rebirth” could be a promotion similar to the scope of All-New, All-Different Marvel, with DC canceling every current ongoing series and launching a new lineup of books with different creative teams. Or could DC be planning something similar to the New 52 relaunch from 2011? Might they be preparing another major overhaul of their continuity and a fresh starting point for their superhero universe?
A full-scale reboot seems less likely at the moment. It’s still been less than five years since the advent of the New 52. We already know that Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis are hard at work on “Rise of the Seven Seas,” a story that was first teased in the pages of Justice League three years ago. And would DC launch Harley Quinn and Her Gang of Harley’s two months before they torpedo’d the New 52 universe?
Regardless of the scope, expect a major marketing push out of DC this year as they work to combat Marvel’s latest relaunch and take advantage of the growing hype surrounding Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad. And expect at least some of their new comics to be geared towards fans of those movies.
We’ll keep you updated as DC reveals more about this upcoming “Rebirth.” By Jesse Schedeen