With a rebrand that has resurged an interest in its current line, DC Comics boldly continues its “Rebirth” rollout and successfully lures new readers in with introductory “One-Shot” issues to intro the newly revamped Justice League of America roster.
This month’s DC Comics epic crossover event Justice League vs. Suicide Squad the 6-issue weekly blockbuster wrapped up with a bombastic conclusion that brought these two teams together for one of the most unlikely collaborations to face-off against one of the imprint’s most dangerous foes. At the conclusion of this event, the preverbal door was left open for several spin-off possibilities, but even as the “Rebirth” rebrand continues to reexamine the more-than 75 year legacy of the DC Comics universe, the publishing giant has taken an entirely new and exploratory approach to expanding on its readership and reeling new fans in.
When it was announced that many of the currently running headlining titles would be published on an ambitiously relayed bi-weekly broadcast of issues, many anticipated the stunt might prove profitably unviable especially in a market now saturated with so many options. The “Rebirth” initiative introduced a searingly intriguingly mystery that promised to retcon many of the more popular titles and reacquaint new and old readers with some old favorites that had been missing since the “New 52” reboot. After the release of the premiere on-shot DC Universe: Rebirth written by Geoff Johns the relaunch was again off and running!
DC Comics wrapped up previous loose ends and cancelled some of its lines, relaunching and renumbering most back to #1s and releasing books on a bi-weekly schedule, but before new books took over the newsstands, each title was glorified with a its own special “Rebirth” one-shot that introduced readers to the tone of the title, as well as provide the proper springboard for readers looking to take the leap! The gamble paid off and has proven particularly vital as the “Rebirth” storyline continues to unravel and reignites interest in some classic characters! This gambit played out brilliantly as DC Comics prepares its audience for its next big team book!
Shortly after DC Comics announced its Justice League vs. Suicide Squad mini-series, it followed-up with what many have perceived has become one of the imprint’s best-selling franchises. The Justice League of America would be repackaged as the covert-ops branch of the established league which consists of the greatest heroes in the DC Universe pantheon. Under the watchful eye of the Batman, one of the founding members of the Justice League, this new team would bring together some familiar faces (including two fan favorites) and some relatively speaking first-timers, and one wildly barbaric bruiser!
In order to generate some buzz about this new line-up, leading up to the premiere issue of Justice League of America #1 several one-shots similarly styled in the “Rebirth” rebrand reintroduced readers to The Atom (Ryan Choi), Vixen, The Ray, and emerging from JLvSS Killer Frost. Each one-shot written by Steve Orlando and Jody Houser featuring cover art from Ivan Reis with interior work by some of today’s most gifted artists, was released in conjunction to the JLvSS and leading right up to Justice League of America: Rebirth #1 and Justice League of America #1 both issues hitting stands this February!
“Spotlighting the characters as we did during the JLA REBIRTH one-shots was all about positioning and introducing the characters for readers new and old,” said Steve Orlando, the architect of the upcoming new JLA book which will feature pencils by Reis. “As with REBIRTH in general, the ultimate aim is to not only remind longtime fans of who these characters are at their core and why they love them, but to show new fans why they should love them in the first place.” The highly anticipated JLA line-up will include the quartet that were spotlighted in already released one-shots, and rounding out the roster will be Black Canary and the mercenary Lobo.
“These are characters that are welcoming and intriguing to all,” Orlando added. “This is always the idea behind reintroducing characters – building on what’s come before with a strong understanding of the core of what makes any character unique.” With the one-shot format having proven itself an engaging device to alert readers to new prospects, expect Justice League of America written by Steve Orlando with art by Ivan Reis to set the trend for measuring audience interest and especially setting up new stories in an ever-expanding universe of possibilities!
