As 2023 hits its stride, DC Comics is diving headfirst in to its year-long Dawn of DC initiative. This week the publisher has announced it’s next wave of creative changes alongside two oversized celebratory issues.
This May, DC will be releasing a free special, The Dawn of DC Primer, which promises to reveal secrets and more from the yearlong storytelling initiative. In June, The Flash and Wonder Woman will join an exclusive club of comics that have reached 800 single issues. DC is celebrating the momentous occasion with oversize special issues that will lead directly into new creative teams on both ongoing series: Simon Spurrier and Mike Deodato Jr. on The Flash and Eisner-winning writer Tom King and artist Daniel Sampere on Wonder Woman. DC has also enlisted famed actor Michael Dorn, the voice of Steel on Superman: The Animated Series, to write the highly anticipated Steelworks with art by Sami Basri. And Jadzia Axelrod, who made a splash with Galaxy: The Prettiest Star, will be making her DC mainline debut with Hawkgirl, featuring artwork by Amancay Nahuelpan.
For years, Amanda Waller has seen the heroes of the DC Universe as a dangerous threat that could lead to the end of the world. Ever since Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, Amanda Waller has operated in the shadows to collect deadly weapons and to create an army of allies who agree with her. Now she’s forced to bring some of the worst enemies of the DC Universe an offer they can’t refuse. The Dawn of DC Primer, written by Joshua Williamson with artwork by Leandro Fernandez, reveals Dawn of DC’s secrets, threats, and connective stories in 2023 and beyond. This free special issue will be available at comic shops on May 16.
The Flash is racing toward its milestone 800th issue on June 6, and DC is bringing together some of the biggest names to ever write the speedster. Legendary Flash scribes Mark Waid (Batman/Superman: World’s Finest), Geoff Johns (Justice Society of America), Joshua Williamson (Superman), join Jeremy Adams (The Flash), each contributing a story in this oversize issue, with art by current series artist Fernando Pasarin with Oclair Albert (Hawkman), Todd Nauck (Stargirl: The Lost Children), Carmine Di Giandomenico (Batman: The Knight), returning The Flash artist Scott Kolins (Suicide Squad: King Shark), and Mike Deodato Jr. (Avengers).
The Flash joins Dawn of DC in September! Launching with The Flash #1, the award-winning new creative team of Simon Spurrier (Coda, Detective Comics) and Mike Deodato Jr. will chronicle the adventures of the Fastest Man Alive.
Wally West has never been quicker, more fulfilled, more heroic. His loving family is around him. And yet something is off. Very off. His evolving understanding of his powers has opened Wally to new avenues of sci-fi adventure, and attuned his senses to strange new ideas. Something whispers from the dark vibrations beyond the Speed Force, and as Wally experiments with creative new approaches to his powers he encounters new realms, mysterious allies and mind-shattering terrors. Starting with a prelude in the soon-to-be-legendary The Flash #800, the chronicles of the Fastest Man Alive take an action-packed turn towards cosmic horror.
The princess of Themyscira is reaching her 800th issue on June 20, and the epic storyline from Becky Cloonan (Trial of the Amazons) and Michael W. Conrad (Batgirls), “Whatever Happened to the Warrior of Truth?,” is coming to a conclusion! Diana’s visions become more vivid as she finds herself trapped in the dreams of those around her. As she struggles to escape, her life as Wonder Woman hangs in the balance. When the dust settles, will she still be the Amazons’ greatest champion? Wonder Woman #800 is written by Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, and Tom King (Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow) with artwork by Joëlle Jones (Catwoman), Jen Bartel (Wonder Woman), Daniel Sampere (Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths), and others.
In September, Wonder Woman #1 will feature the new creative team of Eisner-winning writer Tom King and artist Daniel Sampere. After a mysterious Amazonian is accused of mass murder, the U.S. Congress passes The Amazon Safety Act, barring all Amazons from American soil. To carry out its new law, the government sets up the Amazon Extradition Entity (AXE) task force to remove those who don’t comply by any means necessary. In her search for the truth behind the killing, Wonder Woman now finds herself an outlaw in the world she once swore to protect. The action-packed Wonder Woman #1 will be available at local comic shops in July, and Wonder Woman #800 features a prelude to the story.
Michael Dorn, legendary actor and the voice of Steel in the classic Superman: The Animated Series, will be writing the not-to-be missed Steelworks with art by Sami Basri (Harley Quinn). The Metropolis of the future is here today, but can it survive a terrorist who’s out for revenge against its builder, John Henry Irons—a.k.a. Steel—and his company, Steelworks…and who possesses secrets that could undo everything John has worked so hard to build?
While John’s professional life is firing on all cylinders, his personal life is even better, as his on-again, off-again relationship with Lana Lang might be back on, permanently. Now he must decide whether it’s time to give up being Steel once and for all. But does John even know who he would be without his superhero identity? How does the other Steel—John’s niece, Natasha Irons—feel about his momentous decision? And does any of that matter if Steelworks crumbles around him when he lacks the superpowers to fight back?
A brand-new adventure with sky-high action, adventure, and intrigue begins in Hawkgirl by Jadzia Axelrod (Galaxy: The Prettiest Star) and Amancay Nahuelpan (Wonder Woman).
Kendra Saunders, the winged warrior better known as Hawkgirl, has been one of the DC Universe’s greatest heroes for a long time, serving as a member of both the Justice League and the Justice Society. But with the Justice League disbanded, Kendra decides she needs a fresh start and heads to Metropolis to begin a new life. That life is quickly interrupted by a mysterious villain with a powerful connection to the Nth Metal that makes up Hawkgirl’s wings and weapons. Hawkgirl will also feature a series of variant covers that recount Kendra’s DC history. Hawkgirl #1 will be available on July 18 at local comic shops.
