Live from C2E2, DC Comics have announced a brand new line and marketing push. Dubbed Dark Matter, the line will see five brand new series spin out of Scott Snyder and Greg Cappulo’s upcoming Metal miniseries.
The line will see an impressive group of writers such as Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV team up with equally amazing artists like Andy Kubert and Jim Lee to bring fresh new characters and ideas to the DC Universe. What makes it different, though, is these books are being billed as true collaborations between both writers and artists, so all of the new characters and groups will be a true team effort.
Says Jim Lee:
What I love about Dark Matter is it’s a return to bringing both the writer and artist to the fore. At our talent summit, we brought together some of our key creators, writers, and artists, and we sat around and talked about what was missing in comics, what we could do to create something different that maybe fans of this generation hadn’t seen before.
Five titles will launch starting in September, combining brand new characters with the vamped ideas.
- Sideways, about a teleporting teen; written by Dan DiDio and Justin Jordan and illustrated by Kenneth Rocafort
- The Silencer, about a former assassin who has to return to her old ways to protect her family; written by Dan Abnett and illustrated by John Romita, Jr.
- Immortal Men, focusing on a group of five immortal siblings who try to prevent Armageddon; written by James Tynion IV and illustrated by Jim Lee
- Damage, featuring an army recruit who gains the ability to unleash a monster for a short period of time; written by Robert Venditti and illustrated by Tony S. Daniel
- New Challengers, a new take on Challengers of the Unknown; written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Andy Kubert
Quite an impressive slate and some really interesting ideas. A push for new characters is always tricky to pull off, but with the talent involved I’m sure we’ll get some good stories out of it. I also wonder if, like New Challengers, Damage is going to have any ties to an existing property?
Head on over to Entertainment Weekly for more details and the full video announcement, and check out Andy Kubert’s inspiration for New Challengers over at Nerdist.
Nothing Gotham-centric has been announced at this point, but I’d be willing to bet at least one member of the Batfamily will pop up in a title or two. More news as we hear it, so in the meantime sound of on your thoughts.
UPDATE: Here’s the full DC press release, along with a video with some of the creators involved.
ARTISTS TAKE CENTER STAGE AS DC INTRODUCES DARK MATTER
New Characters, New Stories Debut
When Legendary Artists Collaborate with WritersRetailers had a front-row seat at Chicago’s C2E2 today when DC Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee unveiled six new DC Universe titles under the banner Dark Matter, partnering the most acclaimed artists in the industry with award-winning writers. Beginning this August, under the guidance of iconic artists Greg Capullo, Andy Kubert, Jim Lee and John Romita Jr., DC will launch new titles THE SILENCER, SIDEWAYS, IMMORTAL MEN, DAMAGE, NEW CHALLENGERS, with characters from each of these series first appearing in the previously announced DARK NIGHTS: METAL.
The Dark Matter comics will focus on epic graphic storytelling. Joining Capullo, Kubert, Lee and Romita Jr. to round out the all-star cast of creators are Dan Abnett, Tony S. Daniel, Dan DiDio, Justin Jordan, Kenneth Rocafort, Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV and Robert Venditti.
“What excites me most is that this series of books takes full advantage of the talent and vision of the creative team,” says DC Publisher Dan DiDio. “Comics are a visual medium and with these titles, the artists are working hand in hand with the writers in shaping the look and direction of their characters. In reaffirming the craft of making comics, we’ve brought together a master class of talent, led by Greg Capullo, Andy Kubert, Jim Lee and John Romita Jr., to help set the style, tone and visual direction for these books. With these four industry giants taking the lead, I feel we can bring the power and energy expected from superhero storytelling back to the page.”
“Dark Matter is a return to bringing both the writer and artist to the fore to unlock their full potential,” explains Publisher Jim Lee. “At the talent summit we discussed what was missing in comics and how we could create something that’s new for this generation of fans. The result was Dark Matter. You’ll see bombastic action scenes and a visual narrative driven by the artist. This approach has energized the creators involved, myself included, and we’re going to have a lot of fun with these books.”
To get fans excited about this upcoming launch, DC is releasing a series of interviews with these masters in their homes. Capullo, Kubert, Lee and Romita Jr. highlight their legacy and process and discuss working with their collaborators on new stories in the DC Universe.
The first wave of DC Universe Dark Matter titles includes:
THE SILENCER
· Debuting in September
· Written by Dan Abnett with art by John Romita Jr.
· Honor Guest was the world’s deadliest assassin, until she traded it all for a chance at a “normal” life in the suburbs, free from the constant death and destruction. But as her former life comes back to haunt her, Honor must strip away her suburban persona and protect her family as THE SILENCER.SIDEWAYS
· Debuting in September
· Written by Dan DiDio and Justin Jordan with art by Kenneth Rocafort
· Forever changed by the events of DARK NIGHTS: METAL, a teenager struggles to live through high school as he comes in contact with Dark Matter and gains the power to teleport through the Dark Dimension. But each leap brings the new hero one step closer to succumbing to the allure of his new power and its dark origins.IMMORTAL MEN
· Debuting in October
· Written by James Tynion IV with art by Jim Lee
· Born at the dawn of time, five siblings find that with eternal life comes eternal war. As the forces of destruction march into the modern world, they operate from the shadows, recruiting the elite against the foes who seek to bring about Armageddon. They are humankind’s hope sprung eternal….they are the IMMORTAL MEN.DAMAGE
· Debuting in October
· Written by Robert Venditti with art by Tony S. Daniel
· Ethan Avery only wanted to serve his country, but promises of becoming the ultimate weapon leave the new recruit living a nightmare. Cursed with the ability to unleash an unstoppable monster for one hour at a time, Ethan only wants to live out his life in peace. But if he can tame the monster inside, it might just be able to do more good for the country than Ethan ever expected.NEW CHALLENGERS
· Debuting in December
· Written by Scott Snyder with art by Andy Kubert
· Characters live on borrowed time, running from death toward the greatest mysteries, wonders and terrors of the universe! It’s a new cast, new mission, but in conversation with the history and greatness of the original Challengers of the Unknown. The story starts with Challengers Mountain returning after having been missing for years, and only gets wilder from there…DARK NIGHTS: METAL
· Debuting in August
· Written by Scott Snyder with art by Greg Capullo
· It all begins with DARK NIGHTS: METAL, a story that will examine every choice a hero doesn’t take and every path they don’t walk, opening up worlds that are forged by nightmares. Characters and stories from each of the Dark Matter books will be plotted throughout this series.
