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Top 8 Most Anticipated Things Coming From DC In 2017


2016 proved to be an outstanding year for DC Comics. Although their two movies, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, weren’t critical successes, they certainly made a killing at the box office. Furthermore, to nobody’s surprise, DC continued to dominate from a television standpoint.

What 2016 also saw, was an incredible return to form in terms of the medium that made DC what it is today – the comics. Since the launch of DC Rebirth, DC has made an incredible resurgence in the comic book marketplace, even outselling Marvel for the first, and the second time, in years.

With so much momentum behind them, here are 8 things we’re looking forward to from DC Comics in 2017:

  1. Batwoman

    By far, one of the greatest titles to come out of DC Rebirth has been Detective Comics, written by James Tynion IV with art by the rotating team of Eddy Barrows and Alvaro Martinez. In fact, the series has become so popular that it’s even spawned its first spin-off in the form of a new Batwoman solo series that’s set to launch this February.

    According to DC Comics’ Batman Group Editor Mark Doyle, “Fans have really responded to her role in DETECTIVE COMICS, and we all love Kate here in the Bat-office, so that made it an easy choice to return her to a solo series.”

    The series will be written by Marguerite Bennet (along with James Tynion for the Rebirth issue and the first arc), with art by the incredibly talented Steve Epting. In fact, Batwoman will be Epting’s first work at DC Comics in 15 years, as the artist has worked primarily with Marvel and on his creator-owned book, Velvet, with writer Ed Brubaker at Image Comics.

    It’s very exciting to hear that Kate Kane will be getting her own solo series once again. However, before she makes that leap, a lead-in to the series will play out in the pages of Detective Comics, with a two-issue arc titled Batwoman Begins. Like this first arc of Batwoman proper, this will also be co-written by Tynion and Bennet.

    Although we have to wait until February for the Batwoman: Rebirth one-shot, and then March for the official series, the Batwoman Begins arc in Detective Comics begins January 25, 2017!

  2. Justice League of America

    Spinning directly out of the events of the current Justice League vs. Suicide Squad event is the return of Justice League of America. Debuting this February, the series will be penned by current Supergirl writer Steve Orlando, with artistic duties in the hands of Ivan Reis.

    Although we already have a core Justice League series, what makes Justice League of America so intriguing is the incredibly diverse lineup. The team will consist of The Atom (Ryan Choi), The Ray, Vixen, Killer Frost, Black Canary, Lobo (yes, Lobo), and Batman.

    Obviously, Lobo and Killer Frost aren’t typically portrayed as “heroes”, so it will be interesting to see what role they play in the overall team dynamic. As for Black Canary, she will help ground the team thanks to the perspective she brings from her current role as a street-level vigilante in the pages of Green Arrow. For The Ray, Vixen, and Ryan Choi, it’s just great to see them once again being featured in such a prominent title.

    Although Justice League of America: Rebirth #1 won’t be released until February 8, 2017, Killer Frost, Vixen, The Atom, and The Ray will all get the Rebirth treatment in the weeks leading up to this, so be sure to check those out before the series officially kicks off!

  3. DC Rebirth Volume 1 Trades

    There’s nothing quite as appealing as a trade paperback. As much as readers love to collect single issues, it’s not always convenient to dig through mountains of long boxes just to read an entire six-issue story. Likewise, omnibuses look amazing on the shelf, but a 500-1,000-page book isn’t always the kind of thing you can plop down on your lap and relax with.

    Thankfully, the first wave of DC Rebirth volume 1 trades will now be making their way into the hands of eager readers, starting with Superman and Green Arrow on January 4, 2017. As the weeks progress, more and more volume 1s will be released, giving trade-waiters hours of entertainment.

    Also, if you’re new to comics and you’re intimidated about where to begin, each of these trades makes for a great jumping-on point. Not to mention, the stories to come out of DC Rebirth are some of the best to be published by DC Comics in quite some time!

  4. Superman Reborn

    In September and October of 2016, we witnessed the first crossover event to take place since the launch of Rebirth. In this event, Batman, Detective Comics, and Nightwing all crossed over in a six-issue story, Night of the Monster Men.

    Now, this March, we’ll get a similar style event featuring the other half of DC’s big two, Superman. Titled Superman Reborn, we’ll see a crossover between Superman and Action Comics, though this event will take place in just four issues rather than six.

    Nonetheless, the event looks to be quite promising, as it will explore the origins of the current, pre-Flashpoint Superman family, as well as his divisive predecessor, the New 52 Superman. It will also expand upon the role of the enigmatic Mr. Oz, who many readers speculate is none other than Watchmen’s Ozymandias.

    Whatever the case may be, Superman Reborn is likely to have incredibly heavy implications, not just for the Man of Steel himself, but for the post-Rebirth DC Universe as a whole.

  5. Untitled DC Comics Superhero TV Show

    Although the DC Extended Universe has proved to be quite polarizing, few can argue that when it comes to cable and network television, DC has certainly cornered the market. Although Arrow isn’t quite on par with earlier seasons, the show seems to be taking steps in the right direction with season five. Also, let’s not forget that Arrow is the show that spawned arguably DC’s most popular TV show, The Flash. Legends of Tomorrow has improved greatly since season 1, and Supergirl has seemingly been a runaway hit since the start. As for Gotham and Lucifer, both have been met with varying levels of success, but neither shows any signs of stopping.

    We already know Black Lightning is currently in development and that Powerless will be debuting in February, but a series of cryptic tweets from DC Entertainment's President/Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns seemed to tease, among other things, yet another addition the DC’s TV universe.

    No further details were released, but rumors and speculation are running rampant. So, just how long will we have to wait until we find out what’s in the works?

  6. Justice League Movie

    As I mentioned in the previous entry, the DC Extended Universe has been polarizing. For better or worse, 2016 saw the first big-screen meeting of DC’s Trinity in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. In another first, we also saw DC’s ragtag band of semi-reformed rogues, the Suicide Squad come together in their own titular film.

    Although Wonder Woman will be the next DC film to be released by Warner Bros., anticipation is incredibly high for the first big-screen assemblage of the quintessential superhero team when Justice League makes its way to theaters on November 17, 2017.

    Several roles from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will be reprised, including Ben Affleck’s Batman, Henry Cavill’s Superman, Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman, Jeremy Irons’ Alfred Pennyworth, Amy Adam’s Lois Lane, and more. In addition to this, for the first time in a feature film (excluding cameos), we’ll see Ezra Miller’s Flash, Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, Ray Fisher’s Cyborg, as well as Ciarán Hinds’ Steppenwolf playing the role of the big-bad.

    For those who are still skeptical after the DCEU’s first three installments, all I can say is prepare for the worst, but hope for the best.

  7. Wonder Woman Movie

    Perhaps the only thing fans of the DCEU are looking forward to more than Justice League is Wonder Woman, which hits theaters on June 2, 2017. Although Gal Gadot first brought Diana Prince to the big screen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, this will be the first solo outing to feature the Amazon Princess.

    The fact that this is the first Wonder Woman movie is reason enough to be excited because it’s certainly about time we go this. However, this is also the first live-action film to feature a mainstream female superhero, something DC beat Marvel to the punch with, as MCU fans are still eagerly awaiting the possibility of a Black Widow standalone movie.

    Although Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad were box office successes, both were received poorly by critics. Although hardcore fans were able to shrug this off, it would be nothing short of a crushing blow to morale if Wonder Woman meets the same fate.

  8. Geoff Johns Returning to Comics

    You read that right – for the first time since the epic 80-page DC Universe Rebirth one-shot in May 2016, DC President/Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns will be returning to comics. What’s more, it appears that he will further explore the Pandora’s box he opened in the aforementioned book when he alluded to the fact that the Watchmen, specifically Dr. Manhattan, may be responsible for the changes to the DC Universe that resulted in the New 52.

    Unfortunately, no further details are available at this time. This is because the news broke during the same previously mentioned series of cryptic tweets by Johns on New Years Day, with no follow-up coming from anyone else in editorial since then.

    Johns, of course, stepped away from the world of comic book writing after Rebirth to focus on his many other responsibilities, including overseeing DC’s movie slate. However, with the incredible DC Universe Rebirth one-shot, he certainly left fans wanting more. Whether or not we see his return in 2017 isn’t clear at this time, but here’s to hoping we see more from him soon!

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