6. If I Ran DC: The DC Relaunch Re-Imagined

So... as a thought experiment last year, me and my co-worker and friend Nick Budd, decided to figure out what we would have done if we had programmed the DC relaunch. There were several caveats: First of all, we had to stay somewhat within reality. By which I mean, we assumed that a lot of folks already had contracts with DC, so almost anyone who had been on books before the relaunch and was still on books after the relaunch, we had to use. Also, we couldn't just grab anybody we wouldn't be able to get. Nobody who's a Marvel exclusive, there was no way Mark Millar was going to work for DC, etc.

We also decided to tweak a few big things. For one, we went reboot, not relaunch. We're going with a sort of Brave and the Bold approach, where there's a history, and we'll explore it as it becomes relevant, but we're not assuming that any of the stories previously happened. Basically, unless it's specifically mentioned in the new stories, assume that it hasn't happened. This is a little more flexible than it probably should be, less specific than the "5 year timeline," but it is sort of the opposite of what DC went with, which is "assume it happened unless we outright tell you it didn't."

I also freely admit to nabbing several pitches from DC Fifty-Too and would immediately take Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone up on their plan to do at least 12 issues of a Wonder Woman book anyone could hand to their young girl. Because really, what kind of *idiots* wouldn't take that pitch?

We also each added a new imprint. For me, all-ages. For Nick, a space-themed imprint called Mystery in Space.

This is my half, Nick's half is on his site, Top 5 Comics, or if he doesn't, I'll ask him and post them up here.

Anyway... here are the solicits. Again, just a thought experiment. All art belongs to the artists, is used for illustrative purposes, and doesn't imply any consent toward this article or anything expressed within. If any artists would like me to take the art down (or move the pictures to my own site, rather than linking to the original piece, which I do as a means to send traffic their way and make them aware of the existence of this article in case any of them do have a problem with it), please contact me and I will respond amazingly quickly.

DETECTIVE COMICS #1
Written by SCOTT SNYDER and DAVE BULLOCK
Art and cover by JOCK and FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA and DAVE BULLOCK
On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Detective Comics gets a new first issue for the first time in almost 75 years! A series of brutal killings hints at an ancient conspiracy, and Batman learns that Gotham City is deadlier than he knew. Plus, in the first in a series of 8-page backup stories by rotating creative teams, DAVE BULLOCK shows us the adventures of Slam Bradley, Gotham's hard-boiled private eye protector of the 1930s!

NIGHTWING #1
Written by ANDY DIGGLE
Art and cover by JESUS SAIZ
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Dick Grayson was the first Robin, but now he flies solo as Nightwing, guardian of Hub City! The Question, protector of Hub City, has disappeared, and it's up to Batman's first protege to keep the peace in this corrupt town while finding out what happened to the one man who held the corruption at bay. (Editor's Note: In the new continuity, Dick Grayson is African-American. The Question is still Vic Sage.)

BATMAN #1
Written by PAUL DINI
Art by GREG CAPULLO and JONATHAN GLAPION
Cover by GREG CAPULLO
Variant cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
Arkham Asylum... empty. Gotham's criminals have spread across the United States, creating havoc too widespread for even Batman to deal with on his own. Be here as Batman teams up with a variety of superheroes from across the DC Universe against his most famous foes... and tries to track down the mastermind behind the massive escape. Who benefits from keeping Batman away from Gotham? And what does this have to do with the Mayor's secret "Arkham City" protocols?

BATMAN INC #1
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art by FRANK QUITELY and CHRIS BURNHAM
Cover by FRANK QUITELY and CHRIS BURNHAM
On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Man of Bats. Knight and Squire. Mr. Unknown. Batwing. Black Bat. When crime and terrorism goes international, Batman needs to become an international force. Be here as Grant Morrison explores Batman's army of allies across the globe and their strange foes with superstar artists Frank Quitely and Chris Burnham.

BLACK BAT #1
Written by LISA JOY & TONY DANIEL
Art by TONY DANIEL
Cover by BECKY CLOONAN
On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Meet Cassandra Cain. The daughter of a world class assassin, rescued as a girl by Batman and trained alongside Jason Todd, Tim Drake and Stephanie Brown as potential replacements for Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon, Cassandra was given the identity of The Black Bat to become Batman Inc.'s operative in Hong Kong. Now she'll face off against Triads, intelligence agents from around the world and super-criminals trying to infiltrate this high-tech, crime-riddled city of the far east. Brought to you by BURN NOTICE and PUSHING DAISIES writer Lisa Joy and BATMAN artist Tony Daniel, its high octane espionage and action as you like it!

BATWOMAN #1
Written by J.H. WILLIAMS III and W. HADEN BLACKMAN
Art and cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
At last! Batwoman’s new series begins, from the multiple award-winning creative team of J.H. Williams III and Haden Blackman!
In “Hydrology,” part 1 of 5, Batwoman faces deadly new challenges in her war against Gotham City’s underworld – and new trials in her life as Kate Kane.
Who or what is stealing children from the barrio, and for what vile purpose? Will Kate train her cousin, Bette Kane (a.k.a. Flamebird), as her new sidekick? How will she handle unsettling revelations about her father, Colonel Jacob Kane? And why is a certain government agent named Cameron Chase keeping tabs on her?

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #1
Written by PAUL DINI
Art by GUILLEM MARCH
Cover by GUILLEM MARCH
On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn and Catwoman have learned that to survive in Gotham City, bad girls have to stick together. But now they're facing a new vigilante, one who seems to have put a special focus on the capers of the Gotham City Sirens. Who is Thorn? And why is she so determined to put these women out of business?

BATGIRL & THE BIRDS OF PREY #1
Written by BRYAN Q. MILLER
Art and cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
When the Joker's brutal attack put her in a wheelchair, Barbara Gordon thought her life as Batgirl was over. But combining her talent for hacking and information with a cybernetic-interfaced robot from Batman Inc's vault has put her back in the driver's seat, and she's gathered a team of super-operatives that includes Black Canary, Huntress and Starling (Stephanie Brown) to take on the worst that Gotham (and the world) has to offer!

Edge Imprint:

RED HOOD AND THE OUTSIDERS #1
Written by JUDD WINICK & DAVID FINCH
Art and cover by DAVID FINCH
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
Jason Todd was training to replace Robin, but his violent methods caused him to strike out on his own with the identity of Red Hood. Now he's gathered a team of fellow outsiders and fallen sidekicks, including Arsenal, Rose Wilson, Grifter (from Wildcats) and Wise Son (from Blood Syndicate) to take on the criminals and terrorists of the world with more final methods than his mentor would have approved of. But is one of his new recruits secretly an operative of Batman Inc.?

WILDCATS #1
Written by PAUL CORNELL
Art by CAFU
Cover by SAMI BASRI
On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
Khunds. Dominators. Daemonites. White Martians. These and more alien races have tried to infiltrate or destroy the DC Universe over the years, but they've always been stopped by the covert action teams of the World War II-era mystery man Wildcat. Now investigative journalist Lois Lane is on the trail of the Wildcats, and she has a major scoop: These alien fighters all share alien origins! Has their protection of Earth all been a scheme to take it for themselves? And if so, what does that mean for Lois, and are they the ones trying to kill her? Join Martian Manhunter, Warblade, Voodoo, Spartan, Starman (Mikaal Tomas), Maxima and Starfire as they battle the risk of exposure and the impending menace of alien conqueror Despero!

D.E.O.: COVERT OPS #1
Written by JOHN OSTRANDER & MARC ANDREYKO
Art by CHRIS SAMNEE
Cover by LADRONN
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
The Department of Extranormal Operations has been the government's answers to alien and metahuman threats for over 50 years. Whether it was the work of King Faraday and John Lynch's Team 7 during the Cold War or the more modern operations of Mr. Bones and Amanda Waller, they've been doing the covert work to keep the world safe, as the United States sees it. Now, however, a massive terrorist super-criminal threat is going to force these rival department heads to work together and coordinate all their resources, from Team 7 to Checkmate to the mysterious Task Force X, or else face the destruction of everything they've protected for so long.

SUICIDE SQUAD #1
Written by CHRISTOS GAGE & GAIL SIMONE
Art and cover by NICOLA SCOTT
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
Amanda Waller has a deal for the supervillains of Belle Reve. Take on dangerous and probably illegal missions for the government. You'll probably die. But if you don't, you get a few years knocked off your sentence. Bane, Ragdoll, Catman, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang and Scandal have all taken her up on the deal. But several of them have their own agenda, until they find out their last teammate on their first mission: The Joker. And now all their plans and schemes take a backseat to staying alive.

O.M.A.C. #1
Written by DAN DIDIO and KEITH GIFFEN
Art and cover by KEITH GIFFEN and SCOTT KOBLISH
On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
The all-seeing Brother Eye satellite has unleashed a new beast upon the DC Universe in this smashing new series! Kevin Kho has become an unwilling participant in a war between Project Cadmus and Brother Eye as he is transformed into the One Man Army Corps known only as O.M.A.C.!

BLACKHAWKS #1
Written by MIKE COSTA
Art and cover by KEN LASHLEY
On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
Welcome to a world waging a new kind of war that’s faster and more brutal than ever before. It’s fought by those who would make the innocent their targets, using computers, smart weapons and laser-guided missiles. The new enemy is hard to find – and closer to home than we think. Between us and them stand the Blackhawks, an elite force of military specialists drawn from special forces around the world and equipped with the latest in cutting-edge hardware and vehicles. Their mission: Kill the bad guys before they kill us.

ALL-STAR WESTERN #1
Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art and cover by MORITAT
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T+
Even when Gotham City was just a one-horse town, crime was rampant – and things only get worse when bounty hunter Jonah Hex comes to town. Can Amadeus Arkham, a pioneer in criminal psychology, enlist Hex’s special brand of justice to help the Gotham Police Department track down a vicious serial killer? Find out in this new series from HEX writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, with lush artwork by Moritat (THE SPIRIT)! Future issues will feature 8-page backups by rotating creative teams featuring numerous western heroes, including SCALPHUNTER by THE SIXTH GUN team of Cullen Bunn & Brian Hurtt, THE KENTS by John Ostrander and Tim Truman and BAT LASH by Mike Carey & Dan Hipp.

Young Justice imprint:

TEEN TITANS #1
Written by ADAM WARREN
Art by PETE WOODS
Cover by PHIL BOURASSA
On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Tim Drake, the newest Robin, has a problem. Students have been disappearing from the Holt Academy for Advanced Learning, Mr. Terrific's private school which also doubles as a secret training center for young metahumans. And Tim is sure they've got an inside man. But he can't handle this problem on his own, and he can't bring in Batman, so it's up to Tim to put together a team of heroes from amongst his fellow students. Fairchild, the statuesque and powerful beauty with self-esteem issues, Kid Flash, the nephew of the Flash whose mouth runs twice as fast as his brain, Aqualad, the protege of Aquaman, Jaime Reyes, the teen with the scarab from the aliens known as The Reach, Connor Kent, the powerhouse clone of Superman who hides more than a few secrets and Grunge, the well-meaning doofus who hasn't quite realized that the '90s are over. Together these young teens will form the core of the Teen Titans in this new series from writer Adam Warren (EMPOWERED, GEN 13) and artist Pete Woods (ROBIN), with covers by lead YOUNG JUSTICE animator and character designer Phil Bourassa!

PREZ #1
Written by JAKE EKISS
Art by STEVE ROLSTON
Cover by CAMERON STEWART
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
It's the second decade of the new millenium, and the last place anyone thought there would be a violent youth revolt was the United States. After months of tense political stalemate punctuated by crippling social turmoil, a deal was reached. The minimum age to hold office was lowered, and in 2016, the youngest president ever, 17 year old Alejandra Perez "Prez" was elected to the highest office in the land. With the youth revolt still smoldering, and the country on the verge of schism or collapse, all the weight of our dreams, of our children's dreams, rest on one girl.

STATIC SHOCK #1
Written by SCOTT McDANIEL and JOHN ROZUM
Art and cover by SCOTT McDANIEL and JONATHAN GLAPION
On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Virgil Hawkins has a great job at S.T.A.R. Labs, a new mentor in the form of the mysterious Hardware and a new life in New York City after his parents have moved him out of Dakota! But is he ready to take on the new villains who lurk in New York City’s underworld? And just what role did Hardware play in getting Static this new life?

LEGION OF SUPERHEROES #1
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art by FRANCIS PORTELA
Cover by KARL KERSCHL
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
In the 31st century, the heroic legacy of the DC Universe has been forgotten, as alien overlords The Dominators sweep through the galaxy and Earth struggles under the rule of Xevious Luthor, descendant of one of the worst super-criminals the world has ever known. But industrialist RJ Brande has a plan, and he's calling in heroes from all over the galaxy to take up the heroic banner of the Legion of Superheroes!

KAMANDI, THE LAST BOY ON EARTH #1
Written by DAVE GIBBONS and RYAN SOOK
Art and cover by RYAN SOOK
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Raised in the Command D Bunker by Doctor Canus, Kamandi thought he was alone. But when a girl turns up at the Bunker on the run from the slaver tigers of Great Caesar, with a locket that might lead to a colony of intelligent humans in South America, Kamandi must gather his friends and set out on a quest to find out if he is indeed the Last Boy on Earth.

METAL MEN #1
Written by BRIAN CLEVENGER
Art by JAMAL IGLE
Cover by KEVIN MAGUIRE
On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Teenaged geniuses "Doc" Will Magnus and T.O. Morrow have been rivals since kindergarten. The twin terrors of science fairs throughout Ivy City. Now they've turned to robotics. But who will the city choose as its official champion? Morrow's powerful, popular champion The Red Tornado, or Magnus's scrappy underdogs the Metal Men? Either way, the two science teens will be hard at work in the lab, trying to top each other again, and their robotic creations will have to deal with the fallout from experiments gone wrong, as well as the weird science threats of Ivy City and their animosity towards one another.

JIMMY OLSEN #1
Written by NICK SPENCER
Art by RB SILVA & DYM
Cover by AMANDA CONNOR
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Jimmy Olsen and his on-again, off-again girlfriend Chloe Sullivan are constantly at odds. About who paid for dinner last, about who won the last argument... but mostly about who's going to get the best stories for Weird Worlds magazine. Join DC's most go-getting young reporters as they seek adventure and good copy in alien worlds, supervillain bases and all across the DC Universe!

All-Ages:

THE MAGIC OF SHAZAM #1
Written by EVAN "DOC" SHANER
Art and cover by EVAN "DOC" SHANER
On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED A
Meet the Wizard. Speak the words. Fight evil. SHAZAM! Evan "Doc" Shaner brings you a brand new, all ages take on Captain Marvel, Billy Batson, Dr. Sivana, Tawky Tawny, Black Adam and more!

SUPERGIRL/BATGIRL #1
Written by MIKE MAIHACK
Art and cover by MIKE MAIHACK
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED A
Can the same blonde-haired, wonder teen from Metropolis who helped Barbara Gordon finally put an end to Killer Moth's week-long crime spree also be the new popular transfer student at Gotham High? Good thing they have superheroics in common because Babs' and Kara Zor-El's student lives are about to clash.

WONDER GIRL #1
Written by DARWYN COOKE & J. BONE
Art and cover by J. BONE
On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED A
Diana Prince has become one of the world's foremost heroes. A member of the Justice League. But before all that, she was a teenager on Paradise Island and a young heroine newly arrived in Man's World. Join Darwyn Cooke (DC NEW FRONTIER) and J. BONE (BATMAN BRAVE AND THE BOLD) as they show us the early days of Diana's adventures!

BLUE BEETLES #1
Written by MIKE NORTON
Art and cover by MIKE NORTON
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED A
Dan Garrett III, the long lost grandson of the original Blue Beetle, thought the scarab (and the legacy of the Blue Beetle) would be his. But when he approached his boss, Ted Kord, about the idea, he found out that Jaime Reyes had already been claimed by the scarab. But when Jaime finds himself in need of a partner, Garrett "borrowed" Kord's Beetle equipment and went to the rescue. Now the two teens, with guidance from retired Blue Beetle Ted Kord, look out for each other and the citizens of Central City!