I will freely admit that I am not a regular DC Comics reader and for a long time now I’ve identified myself as a “Marvel Guy”. I’ve never actually read Crisis on Infinite Earths and the last monthly DC book I read was the relaunch of JSA, which lasted well into the Magog storyline before I jumped ship around issue #17.

News broke today that after the latest event, Flashpoint, DC Comics would be relaunching 52 titles this September all starting at #1. The most notable title is Justice League #1, written by Geoff Johns and art by Jim Lee. The “new” Justice League lineup will feature Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern and The Flash.

What’s so new about this lineup? Well read on a selection from the article USA Today ran:

In September, 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. 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,” says Dan DiDio, co-publisher of DC with Lee. “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.”

While I’ve often gotten into deeply nerdy conversations with friends and acquaintances regarding how confusing things got with DC with their Multiverses and Crises. At no point did I think the characters were being written in a way that I was unable to understand or relate to them. I am a huge fan of DC and Warner Bros. animated efforts dating back to Batman: The Animated Series, continuing through Batman Beyond and Justice League Unlimited.

And wait a second, what’s wrong with the costumes? I think that along with Spider-Man, Batman and Superman are two of the most iconic and classic designs in all comic books. In the image above we can see some slight changes to the characters

I have just one question. What the fuck did they do to the “S” on Superman’s chest? As seen to the left, the traditional “S” has a more stylized and “modern” look. Seriously? DC had to go and fuck with that too? The members of the Justice League aren’t alone. We should expect up to 50 different costume changes/updates this fall when the full slate of titles debut.

And beyond the costume changes, we’re going to see some pretty momentous events in the DC Universe wiped from record. Over at Comics Alliance they’ve amassed a pretty concise list including events such as “the death of Superman; Clark Kent’s marriage to Lois Lane; Crisis on Infinite Earths; Blackest Night and the rest of the Green Lantern “emotional spectrum” mythology”.

DC brass can say what they want about telling more “modern and diverse” stories and redeveloping their characters to more accurately reflect the 21st century and creating a good “jumping point” for new readers. This is in reaction to Marvel’s growing market share and ability to successfully translate several of their top tier characters from comics to film. Parent company Warner Bros. is shitting their pants that in 2013 they may lose some of the rights to Superman, and wondering how the fuck a Justice League movie has been made yet.

Jumping point my ass.

Sources: Comic Book Resources, USA TODAY, Comic Alliance