The New 52 | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | DC Comics |
Genre | |
Publication date | August 31, 2011 – May 25, 2016 |
Main character(s) | DC Universe |
Creative team | |
Written by | Various |
Artist(s) | Various |
Collected editions | |
DC Comics The New 52 | ISBN 978-1-4012-3451-5 |
DC Comics The New 52 Zero Omnibus | ISBN 978-1-4012-3884-1 |
DC Comics The New 52 Villains Omnibus | ISBN 978-1-4012-4496-5 |
The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC cancelled all its existing titles and debuted 52 new series in September 2011.[1] Among the renumbered series were Action Comics and Detective Comics, which had retained their original numbering since the 1930s.
The relaunch included changes to the publishing format; for example, print and digital comics began to be released on the same day. New titles were released to bring the number of ongoing monthly series to 52. Various changes were also made to DC's fictional universe to entice new readers, including changes to DC's internal continuity to make characters more modern and accessible. In addition, characters from the Wildstorm and Vertigo imprints were absorbed into the DC Universe.[2][3]
The New 52 branding ended after the completion of the "Convergence" storyline in May 2015, although the continuity of The New 52 continued. In June 2015, 24 new titles were launched, alongside 25 returning titles, with several of those receiving new creative teams. In February 2016, DC announced their Rebirth initiative with the release of an 80-page one-shot on May 25, 2016, and continuing through late 2016.