DC Comics Planning A Relaunch of Popular Superheroes
June 14th, 2011
In response to the successful revival of Marvel Comics in the last decade, comic rival DC Comics announced last week that it would be planning a relaunch of its popular superheroes in the hopes of reclaiming its position as king of the comic store.
For the past ten years, DC has lagged behind Marvel in sales, thanks in large part to the numerous big screen film successes Marvel has enjoyed during that timespan. To try to get back on top, DC will remake superheroes such as Batman, Superman, the Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman to look “younger and more cosmetically designed”. In an interview with USA Today, co-publisher Dan DiDio discussed DC’s efforts to adjust to the new trends in the comic universe:
The first release of the new DC will be Justice League No. 1, which will be a younger, modern look at the gang of superheroes, written by Geoff Johns and artist Jim Lee, famous for his artistry in X-Men #1, the first installment in the X-Men series that became the best-selling comic book of all time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The new comics will feature a “new approach to…storytelling” that will make a few changes to the background stories of most superheroes, while still keeping their essence intact.
It’s a risky venture for DC to tinker with some of the most recognizable comic characters in existence. Only time will tell if this will put them back on top, or it will be met with the same success as New Coke.