NUMBER ONES

DC Comics says it’s going to “revamp” its stellar lineup, outfitting Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and others for life in the 21^st century. Their costumes and their personalities will be tinkered with, and the whole enterprise will reach the newsstands in a flood of Number Ones in the fall. USA Today reported that the publisher will “renumber its entire DC Universe of  titles.” Geoff Johns, who is writing the Justice League title, the first new Number One (out August 31), says he’ll focus on the “interpersonal relationships” within DC’s trademark superteam: “What’s the human aspect behind all these customers? That’s what I want to explore,” he said.

In September, saith USA Today, an additional 51 first issues will make their debut, introducing stories that are grounded in each character's specific legend but also reflect today's real-world themes and events. Artist Jim Lee spearheaded the costumes' redesign to make characters more identifiable and accessible to comic fans new and old.

"We really want to inject new life in our characters and line," Dan DiDio, co-publisher of DC with Lee, told Brian Truitt at USA Today. "This was a chance to start, not at the beginning, but at a point where our characters are younger and the stories are being told for today's audience."

Frankly, I doubt any of the presumed alterations introduced in all these Number Ones will last much longer than a story arc: fans may like new stuff, but they also revere the old spangled spandex. And collectors are going batshit bananas: which Superman No. 1 is the expensive one? Surely the moguls at DC know all this. So the entire enterprise looks suspiciously like just another hype to me.

But one aspect of the plan is likely to endure: “In an even more important move in the competitive comics industry, DC is making all of the re-numbered titles available digitally via apps and a DC website the same day they arrive in comic shops. It marks the first time that a major comics publisher has done so with its popular superhero titles.”