Image from comicsalliance.com.

By Rob Siebert
Editor, Fanboy Wonder

DC Comics announced today that beginning in September, the DC Universe will effectively “relaunch,” renumbering all of its books and kicking off more modern interpretations of its iconic characters.

“We looked at what was going on in the marketplace and felt we really want to inject new life in our characters and line,” DC Comics co-publisher Dan DiDio said. “This was a chance to start, not at the beginning, but at a point where our characters are younger and the stories are being told for today’s audience.”

The company will release and renumber 52 new titles, including Action Comics, which recently reached its 900th issue, Detective Comics, which has published over 880 issues, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc.

Co-publisher Geoff Johns promises a more human focus in the new books.

“What’s the human aspect behind all these costumes?” Johns said. “That’s what I wanted to explore.”

DiDio and Johns’ fellow co-founder Jim Lee reportedly redesigned numerous costumes for the DC characters. Johns and Lee will work together on DC’s new Justice League title (art from which is displayed above).

“We’re allowing people who have never bought a comic book in their lives to download them on portable media devices and take a look,” Lee said. “Having the ability to give people access to these comics with one button click means we’re going to get a lot of new readers.”

DC has “rebooted” its continuity before. In 1985, the event comic Crisis on Infinite Earths led the way for the DCU as it exists today.

Source: USA Today