First story up…coming in September, DC Comics is publishing zero issues of its major titles.
What?!? Wait a minute…
I’m sorry. What I meant to say is that DC Comics will be issuing #0 comics for the month of September.
From Comic List:
#0s will be stand-alone stories. "Some issues will tell the origins of a character or a team, or in some case where an origin has already been told, they will fill in the blanks in terms of questions readers may have about the New 52 DC Universe," said Bob Harras, DC Entertainment Editor-in-Chief. "Each of these issues promises to reveal something surprising."
Whatever…
To me the most interesting thing about the announcement is that September’s run will include four new titles…including one featuring a former Court of Owls assassin on the run from his former masters.
DC Comics turns September into ZERO MONTH
Click on the link to read more.
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The other big story is continuing coverage of DC Comics/Warner Bros. Studio’s response to the box-office juggernaut which is “Marvel’s The Avengers”.
It stands to reason that the perennial interest making a “Justice League” movie is garnering even more interest now. Combined with the fast-approaching end to the Christopher Nolan Batman movies and next year’s Superman reboot…as well as one studio holding all the licensing for DC Comics properties…it’s looking more and more certain.
What’s interesting is that DC/Warner is moving forward, but in an opposite direction from Marvel…where Marvel established the characters first AND THEN brought them together as a team, DC looks like it’s going to introduce the team first AND THEN spin the characters off into their own movies (except for Superman) with Christopher Nolan serving as a kind of “godfather” for the whole franchise universe concept.
From Spinoff Online:
The overview doesn’t include much new information — movies based on Aquaman, The Flash and Suicide Squad are still on the development slate, Christopher Nolan is being set up as the godfather of DC’s big-screen universe — but it does drop a tantalizing nugget about the potential future of Warner Bros.’ Green Lantern franchise.
Variety Magazine points out that this seems to stem from, of all things, Harry Potter…
From Variety:
With "Harry Potter" having ended its run, WB is clearly turning to DC to help launch new franchises.
But the studio is being especially careful with the characters now after the disappointing perf of "Green Lantern," which earned nearly $220 million at the worldwide box office last year.
It seems the biggest lesson learned from Marvel has been a matter of who? not what?…
From The Mary Sue:
“With Harry Potter having ended its run, WB is clearly turning to DC to help launch new franchises,” writes Variety. “According to sources close to the development process, the studio learned that when making a superhero pic, it needs to tap creatives that genuinely understand the characters the way Joss Whedon was comfortable with The Avengers.”
And yes, you can bet they are keeping their eyes on Nolan. He’s finishing Batman sure, but he’s also producing Man of Steel. Variety says Warner would likely try and keep him around but that they aren’t ”expected to make any concrete moves on the DC film front until after the third Batpic opens on July 20.”
Whatever’s about to happen, it definitely looks like (other than with Nolan’s Batman) DC Comics/Warner Bros. are ready to stop playing second banana to Marvel.
WARNER BROS. IS WORKING ON TONS OF COMIC BOOK FILMS BESIDES JUSTICE LEAGUE
WB Mulls Green Lantern Relaunch
Warner Bros. zeroes in on heroes
For further reading, check out the articles above.
Tights Not Included* 