DC Black Label
 

These sound cool.

https://www.gameinformer.com/2018/06...dalone-stories




Today, DC Comics announced that its launching a new imprint geared toward "edgy, provocative" takes on some of everyone's favorite superheroes called DC Black Label.

In the early 90s, DC launched some of the most popular, enduring stories not just in comics but in all of fiction under its Vertigo label including Preacher, Y: The Last Man, Fables, A History Of Violence, and The Sandman. These titles were original properties geared towards courting an older audience, mimicking the content of R-rated films. It looks like DC now has plans to do another Veritgo label but this new one is focused on DC characters like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

DC Black Label will launch with Superman: Year One, penned by Frank Miller and illustrated by John Romita Jr in August, with a host of other stories to follow, per DC's announcement:

SUPERMAN: YEAR ONE from Frank Miller (THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT: MASTER RACE) and John Romita Jr. (ALL-STAR BATMAN, SUPERMAN) A groundbreaking, definitive treatment of Superman’s classic origin story in honor of his 80th anniversary. This story details new revelations that reframe the Man of Steel’s most famous milestones—from Kal-El’s frantic exile from Krypton, to Clark Kent’s childhood in Kansas, to his inevitable rise to become the most powerful and inspiring superhero of all time.
BATMAN: LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH from Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, the creative team behind DARK KNIGHTS: METAL Batman wakes up in a desert. He doesn’t know what year it is or how The Joker’s head is alive in a jar beside him, but it’s the beginning of a quest unlike anything the Dark Knight has undertaken before. In this strange future, villains are triumphant and society has liberated itself from the burden of ethical codes. Fighting to survive while in search of answers, Bruce Wayne uncovers the truth about his role in this new world—and begins the last Batman story ever told.
BATMAN: DAMNED from Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo, the creative team behind JOKER On a deserted Gotham City bridge, a body is found. Whispers spread the news: Joker is dead. But is this a dream come true or a nightmare being born? Now Batman and DC’s outlaw magician John Constantine must hunt the truth through a Gotham City hellscape. The city’s supernatural recesses are laced with hints about a killer's identity, but the Dark Knight’s descent into horror will test his sanity and the limits of rationality, as he must face a horror that doesn't wear a mask.
WONDER WOMAN HISTORIA: THE AMAZONS from Kelly Sue DeConnick (Bitch Planet) and Phil Jimenez (INFINITE CRISIS) A Homeric epic of the lost history of the Amazons and Queen Hippolyta’s rise to power. Featuring monsters and myths, this three-book saga spans history from the creation of the Amazons to the moment Steve Trevor washes up on the shores of Paradise Island, changing our world forever.
WONDER WOMAN: DIANA'S DAUGHTER (working title) from Greg Rucka (WONDER WOMAN, BATWOMAN) It's been 20 years since the world stopped looking to the skies for hope, help, and inspiration. Now the world keeps its eyes down, and the powers that have risen have every intention of keeping things that way. Amongst a scattered, broken resistance, a young woman seeks to reclaim what has been forgotten, and on the way will learn the truth about herself, her heritage, and her destiny.
THE OTHER HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE from John Ridley (12 Years a Slave, THE AMERICAN WAY) A compelling literary series analyzing iconic DC moments and charting sociopolitical gains through the perspectives of DC Super Heroes who come from traditionally disenfranchised groups, including John Stewart, Extraño, Vixen, Supergirl, Katana and Rene Montoya, among others. At its core, the story focuses on the lives of those behind the costumes, and their endeavors to overcome real-world issues. It isn’t about saving the world, it’s about having the strength to simply be who you are.

Re: DC Black Label
 

So, we're going to get the Goddamn Superman, eh?

Re: DC Black Label
 

So basically Elseworlds with a hip moniker?

Re: DC Black Label
 

With Miller's scripting and JR's illustrating, I bet you won't even be able to follow what is going on.

Re: DC Black Label
 

Yeah, I have a bad feeling that this won't exactly work out to be the new Vertigo.

Re: DC Black Label
 

I have no interest in Miller writing Superman at all. The Wonder Woman stuff looks kind of interesting. If you really want her to become something more than a marketing icon, a writer needs to take the kid gloves off the character.

Re: DC Black Label
 

You lost me at Romita jr.

Re: DC Black Label
 

This label has potential as long as these projects come out in time, or basically, come out at all. I mean, we never saw the end of the first All-Star Batman series by Miller and Jim Lee. I hope they treat them as Elseworld tales and not make them part of DC Earth 1 canon/continuity.

Also of note, the Batman: White Knights collection will be released under the Black Label banner and will include the uncensored Joker/Harley Quinn sex scene.

Re: DC Black Label
 

What's the difference between this and Earth 1? Is it just that Earth 1 is a bunch of graphic novels in the same universe, because I thought the draw of those was Elseworlds with premiere creative teams?

Re: DC Black Label
 

I should have said Earth 0, the mainstream DC Universe that we see on weekly floppies.

Re: DC Black Label
 

Maybe. https://www.cbr.com/batman-white-kni...abel-censored/ Looks like it won't happen initially, according to Sean Murphy.

Re: DC Black Label
 

I believe Earth 1 novels were intended to be a template for mainstream Hollywood adaptations. It was basically giving established star writers a crack at developing their own spin on an iconic character for Hollywood.

This appears to be more about introducing "mature" and "adult" takes on familiar DC characters using the Elseworlds format. It's intended for regular comic book readers.

Re: DC Black Label
 

Why it gotta be black?

Re: DC Black Label
 

And here we go. DC already breaking the rules of what the Black Label is supposed to be

https://www.newsarama.com/40935-3-jo...ontinuity.html

Re: DC Black Label
 

I saw the initial solicitations in Previews magazine and apparently the Black label titles will be magazine sized. Too bad, when I saw 'Prestige Format', I thought it was a square bound comic book sized book (which was a really great format from years/decades ago).

Re: DC Black Label
 

There's a bunch of other stuff being retro-jammed into the Black Label trade dress, including:

All-Star Superman
The New Frontier
Kingdom Come
Batman: Year One
DK3: The Master Race

Re: DC Black Label
 

That's such bullshit. Completely unnecessary

Re: DC Black Label
 

DC has too many of these trade lines. I'm not sure what this Black Label tag is even supposed to represent and if I as a fan for decades can't figure it out, good luck marketing the idea to others.

Re: DC Black Label
 

It seems that the Black Label imprint is already DOA. Someone at DC or WB is micromanaging (what a surprise) the brand after the Bat-Dong controversy and issue 3 of Batman Damned was cancelled today to retailers to be resolicited back again for May. No other books have been announced for the line, including the much anticipated and promoted back in 2016 "Three Jokers" book. Add to this that the Vertigo book Second Coming got cancelled because religious groups were all up in arms about it (what a surprise). It seems that DC/WB doesn't want anything that can ruffle anyones sensibilities printed.

Re: DC Black Label
 

Apparently the Black Line was something approved by the prior executive and DC got a new executive from another division (some lady whose name I don't remember) right as the controversy with Batman's penis hit. She's supposedly been ordered to bring DC brand's "back in line" across all mediums. Expect heavy pandering to social media, not religious groups.;) I have no idea how this fits in with Heroes In Crisis, which is already depressing and upsetting many DC readers.

I expect a full universe-wide reboot in the next 24 months.

Re: DC Black Label
 

Pam Lifford is the new head honcho

https://www.warnerbros.com/studio/ex...es/pam-lifford

Re: DC Black Label
 

Apparently the Superman Year One by Romita Jr and Frank Miller is coming in June in the same format as Batman Damned

‘Superman: Year One’: Frank Miller And John Romita Jr. Take On Man of Steel

https://deadline.com/2019/03/superma...el-1202576391/

Re: DC Black Label
 

I hope they show Superman's penis. We've only seen it once on screen (Superman: The Movie). Need to see how he developed.

Re: DC Black Label
 

Romita's art isn't doing anything for me from what I've seen. This is supposedly the series where Superman will go around dating tons of non-Lois characters. Personally, I'm not excited to see Frank Miller's take on Superman.

Re: DC Black Label
 

I used to love Romita Jr's art, but his style changed 15-20 years ago as he made a conscious effort to separate his style from his dad's. He took a more modern approach that made his work less appealing.