'DC Rebirth' series appeal to superhero movie fans
As DC Comics welcomes a Rebirth, one of its biggest stars is saying goodbye.
Geoff Johns' 80-page special DC Universe: Rebirth (out Wednesday) will be the writer's last comic book for a while so he can focus on his new duties as co-lead of DC Films.
"It’s my love letter to the DC Universe and the fans," says Johns, who's had memorable runs on Justice League, The Flash, Green Lantern and Teen Titans. "I feel so grateful and lucky to have worked on the characters month after month for 17 years, and to take a step back from it all is a big deal."
A producer on the upcoming Suicide Squad and Wonder Woman films, Johns promises he will return to comics at some point, but his influence will pervade the series that relaunch as part of Rebirth beginning June 1. He worked with writers, artists and editors on "helping them set the compass for their books," and is excited to be just a fan for now. "Any character you’re interested in, this is a great point to jump on here."
So for those moviegoers who enjoyed Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, are new to comics and look forward to the upcoming films, Johns offers a recommend reading list as a start:
Suicide Squad: Rebirth (Aug. 3)
Two days before the Suicide Squad movie hits with Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, the new comic launches with iconic artist Jim Lee (Justice League) and writer Rob Williams putting the supervillains of Task Force X through their paces.
The Flash: Rebirth (June 8)
Dawn of Justice offered a literally quick glimpse at Ezra Miller's Scarlet Speedster, whose film is currently slated for March 16, 2018. (Before that, though, he'll be in Justice League, slated for Nov. 17, 2017.) His comic-book counterpart plays very heavily into the Rebirth special, and 60 years after Barry Allen first became the Flash, writer Joshua Williamson and artist Carmine Di Giandomenico take over his continuing adventures and give him a mysterious new character to deal with in Godspeed.
Wonder Woman: Rebirth (June 8)
Gal Gadot gets her own solo movie in next year's Wonder Woman (in theaters June 2, 2017), though this is a good place to start preparing: Writer Greg Rucka returns for two rotating story lines featuring the Amazon princess, one a quest for truth and the other a look back at her origins.
Batman: Rebirth (June 1)
Missing the Batfleck yet? Departing Bat-scribe Scott Snyder and new writer Tom King team up for a story leading into the twice-monthly series where Gotham City's resident Dark Knight has to deal with new heroes in town, Gotham and Gotham Girl. It'll keep Bat-fans satisfied till they see Ben Affleck pop up in Suicide Squad and Justice League with cape and cowl in tow.