Judd Winick Writer on the New 52 titles Catwoman, Batwing, Batman: The Dark Knight Nonetheless, the New 52 proved to be a seismic event in comics, demonstrating that one of the two largest publishers in the industry was willing to bet everything - even its own history - for the potential of a larger fanbase, and what doing so actually meant in practice.Īs the New 52 celebrates its 10-year anniversary, those responsible reconsider what the event, the line, and the reboot itself meant for them. Within years, 2016’s DC Universe Rebirth, 2017’s Doomsday Clock, and 2019’s Dark Knights: Death Metal undid the continuity changes of the reboot, piece-by-piece. In the end, the industry didn’t change forever as a result of the New 52 - and, in fact, neither did the DC Universe. Of the many prominent participants Sports Grind Entertainment contacted for this piece, many declined to speak on the subject, preferring to put a stressful period behind them. Behind the scenes, many creators were dealing with confusing and contradictory instructions given to them by editors and executives, or worrying about their job stability as the company tried to regain the momentum the New 52 had in its initial weeks. Within months of its kickoff, sales on the New 52 fell on all but a handful of titles, leading to multiple cancellations and the creation of a number of replacement series which, themselves, would be brought to quick conclusions due to lack of sales. Outside of comics, meanwhile, Hollywood’s coinciding superhero boom came along just in time for the New 52’s updated origin stories to inform Warner Bros.’ Justice League, Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad, and Shazam! franchises, enshrining those changes in the minds of millions of movie-goers.īut the relaunch soon ran into trouble. The event redefined the company’s reputation amongst fans and creators - for good and ill, with as many upset about the wholesale rejection of decades of stories as excited about the new beginning it offered. Every superhero in the DC Universe was in for a major update, with the hope of attracting a new generation of readers who could turn the publisher’s fortunes around.ĭebuting to impressive sales, the New 52 temporarily made DC Comics the dominant force in the industry. The initiative, launching throughout September of 2011, was called “The New 52,” and it marked the company’s first attempt in more than two decades to hit the reset button on its sprawling continuity. The release of Justice League #1 wouldn’t just relaunch the premiere superteam of DC Comics with a new origin story, but be the first of 52 new comic book series that would establish a fresh incarnation of the main DC universe.
31, 2011, the comic book industry was supposed to change forever.
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