Going to the Next Level
DC All In is entering its second act.
The fight is almost over! As the DC KO tournament comes to an end, DC Comics is ready to take things to the next level, aka the second act of the DC All In publishing initiative, which started almost a year and a half ago.
Now is the perfect time to look back at the first act and look ahead to what comes next!
Going All In
In the aftermath of the Absolute Power event, DC launched the DC All In initiative, an era that seems to promise a brighter future for the superhero community after many hardships. If you asked me, the recent years at DC Comics were a bit messy, all over the place, and frankly, down right uninspired for some characters. Neither Infinite Frontier or Dawn of DC was able to shape the DC Universe into something cohesive and meaningful. With DC All In, things have finally started moving in the right direction, bringing a sense of hope, color, and excitement to the DC Universe.
Sometimes, relaunches aren’t as strong an entry point as the publisher might hope. But the Absolute Universe, delivering reimagined and modernized versions of the company’s superhero characters, really welcomes new readers. There are echoes of DC’s classic history in these pages, while this universe takes shape, offering fresh perspectives that focus on the essence and aura of what defines each character. Each title also has its own distinct vibe — from the brutal world of Batman to the psychedelic universe of Martian Manhunter and the optimistic, magical vision of Wonder Woman.
Now, DC All In’s first act is coming to an end with the conclusion of DC K.O. (check out our reading order!), the fighting tournament between heroes (and some villains) to chose a King Omega, a champion that could defeat Darkseid. This was a fight that felt too long and not particularly thrilling, a story that was stretched to its limit with tie-ins that, even complimentary, don’t really add much to the story.
Simply put, the heroes are ready to go into the Next Level! Continuing to make DC All In one of the most welcoming initiatives, DC Comics is bringing previously underutilized characters back into the spotlight with their own series: Lobo by Skottie Young and Jorge Corona, Batwoman by Greg Rucka and DaNi, Deathstroke: The Terminator by Tony Fleecs and Carmine Di Giandomenico, The Fury of Firestorm by Jeff Lemire and Rafael De Latorre, and Zatanna by Jamal Campbell. More are to come!
Reading Corner: Dan Watters and Dexter Soy’s Nightwing
Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo’s Nightwing was one of the celebrated runs of the Dawn of DC Era, an entertaining and colourful series that becomes a perfect run to recommend for new readers — of Dick Grayson specifically or the DC Universe as a whole.
That’s not always easy, taking over a title after a popular run. But writer Dan Watters and artist Soy Dexter took on the challenge. They started by doing something I like very much: building on what the previous creative team left behind while making it their own. Their approach is definitively darker, creating a good contrast with the previous run, introducing new characters, fresh dynamics, and some good old-fashioned circus elements to connect everything to our Boy Wonder. It sound simple enough said like that, but things don’t always work that way. Here, they managed to make it fun and effortless.
With Soy Dexter’s departure from the title this month, it feels as though Nightwing has completed the first level of DC All In and is ready for the next one!
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I am excited for that new Batwoman book!!!