DC Comics Announces “Edgy & Provocative” DC Black Label Imprint
Frank Miller, Kelly Sue DeConnick & Scott Snyder Among Creators Tapped to Launch the Out-of-Continuity Line
Main Art by Lee Bermejo/ Phil Jimenez & Romulo Fajardo Jr./ Frank Miller & Alex Sinclair
Some of DC Comics’ most iconic and best-selling stories exist outside of the core DC Universe canon: Darwyn Cooke’s The New Frontier, Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s Batman: The Killing Joke. Beginning in August, DC Comics hopes to replicate the circumstances under which such lasting works might be created by establishing DC Black Label, a prestige imprint of unique, standalone stories set outside of the current DC Universe continuity.
“Many of our perennially best-selling, critically acclaimed books were produced when we unleashed our top talent on standalone, often out-of-continuity projects featuring our most iconic characters, a prime example being Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns,” publisher Jim Lee said in a statement. “Creating DC Black Label doubles down on our commitment to working with all-star talent and trusting them to tell epic, moving stories that only they can tell with the highest levels of creative freedom.”
Two of the initial DC Black Label titles have already been announced in other forms: Superman: Year One from the iconic Frank Miller and John Romita Jr., and The Other History of the DC Universe written by John Ridley with an unannounced art team. Rounding out the first wave is Wonder Woman Historia: The Amazons from fan-favorite WW artist Phil Jimenez and writer Kelly Sue DeConnick, in her first long-form DC Comics work.
Superman: Year One Announcement Art by Frank Miller & Alex Sinclair
The rest of the announced DC Black Label titles are a who’s-who of the publisher’s heaviest hitters. Current Metal collaborators Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo will reteam for the future-set Batman: Last Knight on Earth; Joker creative duo Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo reunite for Batman: Damned co-starring John Constantine; and Greg Rucka and an unannounced artist will spin a seemingly dystopian Amazon-inspired saga with the working title of Wonder Woman: Diana’s Daughter.
Each DC Black Label series will have a unique format and release schedule, and will sport a stylized new logo and sophisticated trade dress to set them apart from the core DCU.
“DC Black Label offers leading writers and artists of any industry the opportunity to tell their definitive DC stories without being confined to canon,” executive editor Mark Doyle added. “We are carefully crafting each series to fit the vision of the creative team. All of these creators are masters of their craft.”
The announcement of DC Black Label comes just a few short weeks after DC revealed expansive plans for the DC Ink and DC Zoom imprints catering to Young Adult and middle-grade audiences, respectively, and just days after unveiling The Sandman Universe overseen by creator Neil Gaiman.
