While it's not technically a “relaunch,” DC Comics will renew nearly every single one of their titles beginning Wednesday in what has the comic book work in a frenzy. All new #1 issues, including staples Action Comics and Detective Comics as well as Batman and Superman, will be on sale through the month of September in a move that is likely to give new readers a chance to delve into the superhero world as well as continue The Flash and Green Lantern sagas. “It's always nerve-racking, even when you have one new book coming out. Now everybody has all their first issues coming out in one month,” said Geoff Johns, DC Entertainment's chief creative officer and writer of the new Justice League series with artist (and DC co-publisher) Jim Lee. “It's like a big jam session between all these great creators.” Pre-orders of Justice League No. 1 have topped 200,000 copies, making it the most successful comic of 2011. Across the world, the excitement is building and following the Flashpoint saga of this summer, the new launch of the DC world is going to be one of the largest events in the comic book world, since probably Marvel's ultra-successful Civil War tie-in series last decade. It could recapture the world's attention on comic books, which has seen a return to the center of pop culture with comic book movies garnering a large portion of summer film sales. “I am so pumped and excited and I am not even a big DC fan,” said Mark Upton, a New York City comic book lover and regular comic con goer. He told Bikyamasr.com via email that “renewing all these series is a great way to gain more readers and more excitement every Wednesday,” he said, pointing to Wednesday's “New Comic Book Day” weekly. 6 other titles that will roll out over the next month — including the trademark DC titles Action Comics and Detective Comics— also have broken 100,000 pre-orders, the benchmark for a best-selling comic. What made DC special in the past, co-publisher Dan DiDio told reporters, was the company's diverse books; the mystery, war, horror and Western comics of the new 52 sharing shelf and digital app space with the superhero books will reflect that. “The big thing is the number of people who are saying they're gonna buy all 52. It's not something we were shooting for, but boy, do we love it,” he said. BM
