This September will mark the third anniversary of DC launching their New 52 initiative and with that comes the announcement of a brand new line-wide event to coincide with the month. During the first year, we got zero month, which detailed what characters were doing before their respective New 52 book. The second year was Villains Month, where the villains of the DCU each got a spotlight alongside a 3D cover. This year’s event “Futures End” will flash forward five years to a potential future for each of the characters. In May, a weekly series with the same name will launch and throughout 2014 leading up to September we will see brand new series that will directly tie into the weekly series, as well as the event itself.
DC Co-Publisher Dan DiDio released an official statement of the event, detailing what to expect this September:
“It gives some exciting teases of potential storylines that might be coming for our characters in the near future. These stories aren’t going to just be tied into the weekly. But what you’ll be seeing is a lot of the writers who are working on series right now projecting forward — their ideas, their storylines, where they think their character might be five years from now. We really wanted to show things that seem like the logical progression of the characters and where the story lines are going.”
Besides the event itself, DC will also be bringing back the 3D covers from Villains Month, but this time give them a special effect that hasn’t been seen before:
“All the lenticular covers — all the Futures End stories that will be told in September — will be in the titles of the ongoing series. The covers now will also have the ability to have a ‘flicker’ effect. That means that the images change and show the transformation going on. There is a level of change that is taking place with our characters during the course of this story.”
One of the complaints with Villains Month was the shortages of 3D covers, which caused a lot of comic stores to have to allocate their stock and in a lot of cases, not offer the 3D covers at all.
We had a chance to work with a number of retailers. We heard what their concerns were. And we figure we came out with a structure and plan right now that I think allows everybody to feel confident in how to order these things, to make sure that the right amount of books are on the shelf.”
With each year that passes, DiDio explained that it gives them a chance to look at their company and try to find new and better ways to improve:
“What it does is it gives you a chance to reset the line a little bit and see where your strengths and weaknesses are. And if you look at what we did, we launched the New 52, which re-established the heroes in a new direction, voice and continuity. That’s where we started. So what we’ve done [since then] is… we’ve looked at the heroes [with Zero Month in 2012], we’ve looked at the villains [with 2013’s Villains Month], and now we’re looking toward the future. Ultimately, what you’re going to see is the potential of where the futures can be going. And also, I’d like to say, what direct impact it has on stories set in the current timeline in the DCU.”
Future’s End will take place in September of this year.
What are your thoughts on the event? Are you looking forward to it? What about the covers? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
