Reactions to DC Comics’ Rebirth Livestream
January 22, 2016: Dan Didio – co-publisher at DC Comics – vaguely tweets #Rebirth.
February 18th, 2016: Geoff Johns explains what Rebirth is. It’s not a reboot! It’s a course correction. A back to basics. It’s the turning of the breeched baby aka the New 52. The new creator-less titles are announced. I think it’s fair to say that the Panels crew was…disappointed and unhappy.
On Saturday, DC Comics announced the creative teams behind these new books, and a little bit on what they’re about at WonderCon. Thanks to the livestream, anyone could anxiously wait, and watch to see how their pull lists will be affected by the reveals. Now I wasn’t a fan of the Rebirth bombshell in February either after the great time I was having with DCYou (RIP Grayson and We Are Robin), but a lot of people wanted to reassure me that it wasn’t the end. My heart was not in fact being ripped out of my chest to be seen by all because we don’t know who the creative teams are! Where there is uncertainty, there is hope in this wacky world of superhero comics! Or anxiety but it’s okay BECAUSE NOW WE KNOW FOR SURE. So I get to react, and I do so with gifs because that’s the only way I’m writing about Rebirth: the not reboot.
Batman
Written by Tom King
Art by Mikel Janín, and David Finch
Twice a month, and King will bringing in his counterterrorism background as well as making it personal a la Scott Snyder.
Detective Comics
Art by Eddy Barrows, and Alvaro Martinez
A team book featuring Spoiler, Tim Drake, Cassandra Cain, and Clayface with Batman, and Batwoman as co-leaders. Twice a month with classic numbering.
Nightwing
Written by Tim Seeley
Art by Marcus To, and Javi Fernandez
Twice a month. Dick Grayson is back as Nightwing with new mentor.
Batgirl
Written by Hope Larson
Art by Rafael Albuquerque
Monthly title where Barbara leaves Burnside to backpack across Asia for a training mission, and to find herself.
Batgirl and The Birds of Prey
Written by Julie, and Shawna Benson
Art by Claire Roe
Monthly title featuring Batgirl, Black Canary, and Huntress who are on the trail of a fake Oracle. Written by the writers of The 100 on The CW.
All Star Batman
Written by Scott Snyder
Art by John Romita Jr, Jock, Sean Murphy, Jock, Paul Pope, Afua Richardson, Tula Lotay, and more
In-continuity stories featuring Batman, and his villains twice a month*.
*Editors Note: Scott Snyder has clarified that it’ll be a monthly title.
Action Comics
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Patrick Zircher, Tyler Kirkham, and Stephen Segovia
Twice a month, and returning to classic numbering. Pre-52 Superman, and Lois with a Luthor as…also Superman?
New Super-Man
Written by Gene Luen Yang
Art by Viktor Bogdanovic
Kenji Kong is a seventeen year old in Shanghai imbued with the powers of Superman in this monthly title.
Supergirl
Written by Steve Orlando
Art by Brian Ching
Monthly title. An outsider story featuring Kara, and her father is…Cyborg Superman!
Trinity
Written by Francis Manapul
Art by Francis Manapul, and Clay Mann
Monthly title starring Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.
Superwoman
Written by Phil Jimenez
Art by Phil Jimenez, and Emanuela Lupacchino
Monthly title. New character.
Superman
Written by Peter J. Tomasi, and Patrick Gleason
Art by Patrick Gleason, and Doug Mahnke
Twice monthly.
Wonder Woman
Written by Greg Rucka
Art by Liam Sharp, and Nicola Scott
Twice Monthly. Odd number issues for the first dozen are modern day Wonder Woman drawn by Liam Sharp, and even number issues are Wonder Woman starting out (WW: Year One) drawn by Nicola Scott.
Justice League
Written by Bryan Hitch
Art by Tony Daniel, and Fernando Pasarin
Twice a month. Looks like Hal Jordan is replaced by two Green Lanterns (Simon Baz, and Jessica Cruz) which makes it two women, and two PoCs on the team. Goodbye tokenism!
The Flash
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Carmine Di Giandomenico, and Neil Googe
Twice monthly. Speed Force storm hitting everyone, and creating multiple speedsters that Barry trains.
Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps
Written by Robert Vendetti
Art by Ethan Van Sciver, and Rafa Sandoval
Twice monthly. What happens when Sinestro has already won? Who knows. You’ll have to read to find out.
Green Lanterns
Written by Sam Humphries
Art by Robson Rocha, and Ardian Syaf
Twice a month. Starring two new Green Lanterns, Jessica Cruz, and Simon Baz, protecting their sector (earth) from the Red Lanterns.
Cyborg
Written by John Semper
Art by Will Conrad, and Paul Pelletier
Twice a month. Cyborg trying to figure out where the machine ends, and the man begins. Also exploring father/son relationship, and being a black man in Detroit.
Aquaman
Written by Dan Abnett, and Brad Walker
Art by Brad Walker, Jesus Merino, and Phil Briones
Twice a month. Aquaman wants Atlantis to be a nation of the world, and not everyone is on board.
Nothing to do with my feelings. I just thought this was funny.
Titans
Written by Dan Abnett
Art by Brett Booth
Monthly. Featuring Donna Troy, Nightwing, Arsenal, and Garth. Friendship. The rest is a secret.
Harley Quinn
Written by Amanda Conner, and Jimmy Palmiotti
Art by Chad Hardin, and John Timms
Twice monthly. Same old Harley.
Suicide Squad
Written by Rob Williams
Art by Philip Tan, and Jim Lee
Twice monthly. Hope, redemption, and supervillain-y. Killer Croc, Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Katana, Boomerang, and more.
Green Arrow
Written by Ben Percy
Art by Otto Schmidt, and Juan Ferreyra
Twice monthly. Goatee. Green Lantern, and Black Canary finally meet.
Red Hood and The Outlaws
Written by Scott Lobdell
Art by Dexter Soy
Monthly. Recruits Bizarro, and Artemis to make a dark trinity.
Hellblazer
Written by Simon Oliver
Art by Moritat
Monthly. Constantine, and Swamp Thing team up for a rescue mission.
Deathstroke
Written by Christopher Priest
Art by Carlo Pagulayan, Igor Vitorino, and Felipe Watanabe
Twice monthly. Character driven.
Batman Beyond
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art by Bernard Chang
Monthly. The return of Terry McGinnis.
Blue Beetle
Written by Keith Giffen
Art by Scott Kolins
Monthly. Jaime Reyes with his mentor Ted Kord.
Teen Titans
Written by Ben Percy
Art by Jonboy Myers
Monthly. Damian decides to lead the Teen Titans but no one wants him to so it’s Robin vs Teen Titans.
There are two other titles that were announced but not much was said about them. The Super-Sons is when the son of Batman meets the son of Superman, and JLA is a total mystery. Gotham Academy wasn’t mentioned but co-writer, Brenden Fletcher, assures us via Twitter that it’ll return.
So that’s Rebirth. A lot of these titles are out in June while others come out in the fall. Generally, it was hard to be excited for anything since it feels like the rug is being pulled from under me…again. My feelings regarding the individual titles range from either being uninterested in a character, not digging an artist or a writer on a particular book or the twice monthly concept killing any love I would have had because monthly is already a struggle financially (and time wise). Yes, the price reduction to $2.99 is a thing but for those twice a month books, you’re just paying more for essentially one title. Twice a month also worries me in regards to quality/consistency of the books, and the diversity behind, and on the page as gone down a bit as well.
Overall feels:
