DC Comics first announced the launch of the Dawn of DC in November 2022. DC Publisher & Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee described that the "Dawn of DC is one of our most ambitious initiatives ever and is a chance for us to tell bigger and bolder stories across our line".[1]
Unlike The New 52 or DC Rebirth where all titles were relaunched with new number one issues being released in a short period, the Dawn Of DC instead is a yearlong storytelling initiative where there is a slow rollout of new titles releasing throughout the year. Other books from prior to Dawn of DC, such as the Justice Society of America book that is being written by Geoff Johns as a part of The New Golden Age, will converge to the initiative.[2]Action Comics by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Batman by Chip Zdarsky, Catwoman by Tini Howard, Nightwing by Tom Taylor and Harley Quinn by Tini Howard are books which started prior to the Dawn of DC and are now of this initiative.[3]
The first issue to be released under the Dawn of DC banner was Action Comics #1051 on January 24, 2023, with various others following suit thereafter.
Dawn of DC promotional material by Dan Mora
The tone for many of the books in the Dawn of DC was inspired by Mark Waid and Dan Mora's Batman/Superman: World's Finest, along with Tom Taylor's Nightwing series. Along with the tone, the series are more interconnected and intertwined with one another, helping to enhance the shared universe.[4] What happens in one series is directly going to effect another. Tom King commented that "Superman is going to have an impact on Wonder Woman, and what happens in Batman is going to impact Superman. The world is cohesive, not separated".
In May 2023, the ongoing series Batman, celebrated its #900th issue along with being the first issue of Batman to be officially branded in the Dawn of DC, even though the previous arcs were set after the events of Dark Crisis.[5] The next issue went back to its previous numbering with #136 but was the first DC title to include legacy numbering with #901. In June 2023, both Wonder Woman and The Flash celebrated their 800th issues along with marking their first series in the Dawn of DC. Following issue #800 both series will be relaunched in September, starting from issue #1 with new creative teams.
Throughout July and August 2023, the Knight Terrors event – headed by Joshua Williamson with multiple tie-in mini-series by various creative teams – took over the publishing line.[6][7]
After the end of Knight Terrors, DC Comics will publish a Batman and Catwoman crossover, titled Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War, headlined by Chip Zdarsky and Tini Howard. This crossover takes place within the main Batman and Catwoman series, with their respective artists drawing these issues. Additionally, a Red Hood-centric two-issue tie-in miniseries, Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War: Red Hood, will be written by Matthew Rosenberg and drawn by Nikola Čižmešija. This crossover event started in August 2023 and will end in October.[8]
At the 2023 San Diego Comic-Con, DC Comics announced the winter event of the year, Titans: Beast World, which further cements the Titans to be Earth's protectors. The event will launch in November 2023 written by Tom Taylor with art by Ivan Reis and Danny Miki. Beast World will connect to Titans and Nightwing also written by Taylor. “I’m beyond excited to bring this DC crossover event to life starting in November with our new Titans: Beast World series, featuring art by the incomparable Ivan Reis. ‘Beast World’ will also thread the needle between the current series that I’m writing about the Titans,” says Taylor. “Friends will fall. Super Heroes will rise. And nothing will ever be the same again. Earth is about to become…Beast World.”[9]
In October 2023, Superman on its 7th issue of its current volume celebrated its (legacy) 850th issue in an oversized special.[10]
Overarching narrative
With the end of Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Justice League was brought back from their supposed deaths. Amanda Waller, now inspired by this act, works under The Light to take action against all metahumans, both heroes and villains alike. In The Dawn of DC Primer #1 Waller tasked Peacemaker and Peacewrecker, her new right hands, with the goal of acquiring the Helmet of Hate from Lazarus Island. Whilst Peacemaker was off on his mission, Waller met up with a group of villains and gave them a new task, to kill the superheroes.
A new villain, Insomnia, fueled by his hatred of the Justice League and the superhero community (as a result of an attack by a group of evil Batmen which led to the deaths of his family) put the entire world to sleep.[11] He did this in order to find a mysterious object, the Nightmare Stone. After getting the Nightmare Stone, Insomnia brought the nightmares of the hero community to life. Following these events in "Knight Terrors", the world's opinion of the Justice League changed, no longer as beacons of hope but instead as avatars of fear.[11] Amanda Waller managed to steal the Nightmare Stone through all of the chaos and a mysterious figure combined the stone with the Helmet of Hate in order to transform into Doctor Hate. Waller then tells Dr. Hate to target the Titans now that the Justice League are feared by the world.[12]
Changes to the DC Universe
Following the events of the Dark Crisis, the Justice League, as a team, has gone onto a long term hiatus with the Titans, led by Nightwing, becoming the DC universe's premier superhero team.[13] The Titans are now located in Blüdhaven with their new Titans Tower being rebuilt over an old prison, which was destroyed following a prison breakout, led by the villain Heartless.[14] The villain Brother Blood has now changed public perception for himself and his cult, The Church of Blood now rebranded as The Church of Eternity. And is promoting this new change with the support of Teen Titans member Garth/Tempest. Garth rejected the offer to join this new Titans team in support of another who has the ability to be someone "who can make a real difference".[15]
Following the events of Dark Crisis, The Warworld Saga, Lazarus Planet and Action Comics #1050, a major change in the status quo occurred for the Superfamily. This includes the expansion of the Superman family and mythos with the addition of the Super Twins, Osul and Otho-Ra; Jon Kent now has new powers which mirror those of the Electric Blue Superman from the 1990s; and Lex Luthor has made the world forget Clark and Jon are Superman, courtesy of Manchester Black's abilities.[16] Luthor is now in prison following the events of Action Comics #1050 and has handed over the reins of LexCorp to Superman, with the company being renamed to Supercorp and having a new goal of helping Superman. Lois Lane also serves as the current editor-in-chief of the Daily Planet, with Perry White being on a sabbatical.[17] Steelworks was founded by John Henry Irons / Steel to bring forth Metropolis into becoming the City of Tomorrow.[18]Power Girl gained the abilities of telepathy due to the Lazarus Storm, and now goes by the name Paige.[19] Jimmy Olsen now has a new love interest in the form of ex-supervillain Silver Banshee who has damaged Superman's hearing so he no longer has superhearing, having done so after being threatened by a new group of evil mad scientist supervillains.[20] These scientists have been physically changing Supermans rogues making them more deadly and powerful.
Following the events of Lazarus Planet, the Doom Patrol, led by the Chief, a new personality of Crazy Jane, have a new mission statement: with a rise in the metahuman population, their goal is to help, protect and offer safe haven, for the world's metahumans.[21] Along with a new mission, the Doom Patrol have a new base named The Shelter, based out of an old missile silo, to provide shelter to new metahumans and place to where they can better improve their abilities.[22]
During the Dark Crisis, the superhero Oliver Queen / Green Arrow disappeared and did not return with the rest of the Justice League. This disappearance is investigated by the other members of the Arrow Family including Dinah Lance / Black Canary, Roy Harper / Arsenal and Connor Hawke / Green Arrow.[23] Lian Harper, who died in the 2009 story Cry for Justice, is now back alive and well, reunited with her father, Roy Harper, and has rejoined the Arrow family.[24] Connor Hawke ends up traveling to the future and meeting the Legion of Super-Heroes.[25] For some unknown reason, the Green Arrow family can no longer be reunited in its entirety for in the future they caused a "Great Disaster".
Following Lazarus Planet, magic in the DC Universe now works differently causing Billy Batson to use a new name, The Captain, as whenever he says "Shazam!", it triggers his transformation to occur.[26] Other than Mary Marvel, the rest of the Shazam Family no longer has powers.[27] Through the powers of Hippolyta, the meaning of "Shazam!" for Mary Marvel stands for new deities; Selene, Hippolyta, Artemis, Zephyrus, Aurora, and Minerva,[28] though her powers appear to be the same.
The Guardians of the Universe have mysteriously disappeared, and in their place, the United Planets have taken control of the Green Lantern Corps. They have stated that Sector 2814 (Earth) is a liability to the universe and have reassigned all Green Lanterns to other sectors across the universe. Furious at this change, Hal Jordan quit the Green Lantern Corps and returned to Earth.[29]Carol Ferris, Hal Jordan's long time romantic interest has moved on from Hal and now has a new fiance. John Stewart has retired from the Green Lantern Corps and now lives on Earth with his mother.
↑ For additional creative team information, see each title's individual article.
↑ Although the story arc started in Catwoman (vol. 5) #51, the Dawn of DC banner was not added until #52.
↑ Although the story arc started in Nightwing (vol. 4) #101, the Dawn of DC banner was not added until #102.
↑ Although the Chip Zdarsky run of Batman started in Batman (vol. 3) #125, with all the events taking place after Dark Crisis, the Dawn of DC banner was not added until #135.
↑ Though the series does not include the Dawn of DC banner, these titles were advertised to be in the Dawn of DC or have stories which occur during or have an effect in the Dawn of DC
↑ Though the series does not include the Dawn of DC banner, these titles were advertised to be in the Dawn of DC or have stories which occur during or have an effect in the Dawn of DC
1 2 3 That non-italicized titles for Knight Terrors are the main issues.
↑ One-shot collecting Teen Titans (vol. 1) #5, Tales of the New Teen Titans #3, and a story from Action Comics #1051.
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