If you’re a student of comics history the phrase “National Comics” conjures an image of Jack Liebowitz chomping on a cigar while urging teenaged creators to sign contracts…but if you’re not, it means a new edgy anthology from DC Comics which will launch in July and run one off “pilot stories” based on some of the DCU’s more “off beat” characters, like Kid Eternity, Madame X, and so on. It’s evidently not branded as part of the “New 52.” First up, Eternity, above. Creative teams below:
ETERNITY, written by Eisner Award nominee Jeff Lemire with artwork by Cully Hamner, tells the story of police coroner Christopher Freeman. Given a second chance at life, Freeman discovers the ability to resurrect the dead. Now this clumsy wannabe detective partners with the recently deceased to find their murderers—and find them closure before they once again shuffle off this mortal coil.
MADAME X, written by Rob Williams with artist Trevor Hairsine and a cover by Fiona Staples, starts off with a clear vision of who did it — but the real challenge is trying to prove it. As an upstart law firm’s psychic consultant, MADAME X uses tarot cards to divine the truth behind cases, helping skeptical lawyers gather evidence that will hold up in court.
ROSE AND THORN, written by Tom Taylor with artwork by Neil Googe and a cover by Ryan Sook, is a Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde story about Rose Canton, a good girl with a very bad side: Thorn, an ass-kicking femme fatale out for revenge.
LOOKER, written by Ian Edington with art by Mike S. Miller and a cover by Guillem March, tells the story of Emily Briggs, a model who loved looking at herself in the mirror—until the day she couldn’t. Turned into a vampire, LOOKER prowls the dark underbelly of NYC’s elite modeling world, hunting all predators, including the creature that spawned her.
NATIONAL COMICS is kind of an odd name for a dark, edgy anthology. Why not use Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys or The Gay Ghost?
So, a new Vertigo Primer then? Sounds interesting. I may actually pick up a DC book.
It’s a good trademark, AND DC can spin it off as an imprint later.
Looker?!? We finally get a Looker solo story?!? 25 (or is it more like 30) after she is introduced?!? Its about bloody time DC!! Thank You, Thank You Thank You!!! She is one of my all time favorite characters!! Just please make sure she has a new costume!! Although I hope she has the eye make up back, continues to use the word ‘darling’ from time to time and that her Lia name is also used!! :)
I’ve missed Hamner since The Question back up finished. And Lemire writing is the icing on the cake!
So to show my support of diversity of characters – I’ll be picking up all 4! And possibly 2 or more of the Looker issue!! In the hope they will give her more issues!!haha…
So happy!! :)
So KID ETERNITY is GHOST WHISPERER without JLH’s cuteness :)
Tom Peyer needs to have something here.
Hi,
It’s EDGINTON not EDINGTON.
Cheers!
“National Comics” is still better than “My Greatest Adventure.”
Well, not really.
“ETERNITY […] Freeman discovers the ability to resurrect the dead. Now this clumsy wannabe detective partners with the recently deceased to find their murderers[…]”
*cough* Pushing Daisies *cough*
Why is there a ROSE AND THORN revival without Gail Simone attached to it? (The character’s creators–Khaniger and Andru–are both dead, but Gail’s 2004 miniseries was terrific.)
I mean, yes, I understand DC is under no obligation to assign characters to creators who actually have experience with them, but still.
(For that matter, why not approach Ann Nocenti for a Kid Eternity revival? Given Bob Harras’s “party like it’s 1993” approach to handing out assignments….)
I’d suspend my “won’t work for the Big Two” policy for an opportunity to write a 52U “Gay Ghost” one-shot for National Comics.
Kudos for the Gay Ghost reference! Hopefully he’ll get an issue all of his own!
Why can’t they break in new talent on something like this? No interest. I’ll read any of the 50 other books these guys are doing.
It’s especially nice that after all the criticism they found some female creators to work on the books!
“It’s evidently not branded as part of the “New 52.””
Well, by definition, only the 52 ongoing titles are the New 52. Are these books reintroducing the characters into the DCU, or are they completely standalone?
Wonder if we might finally get a new Creeper story at some point…this seems like an ideal opportunity.
National Comics was also a long running title from Quality comics in the 1940s. And Kid Eternity was originally a Quality character. Although I think he appeared in Hit comics not National.
The Gay Ghost is called the Grim Ghost now right? Or with the DCU resetting, the character goes back to its original nom de plume? That would be a ballsy move by DC.
Couldn’t they call the book something more modern?? You know, a catchy name that’ll get more eyes on it? Name doesn’t stand out and suggest its contents. Feels like a name for something political.
This is a pretty good idea for a series, and I hope it takes off. It sounds like each of those stories are set up well to be adapted in other media. They’re all pretty down to earth concepts that wouldn’t require a large budget. I can easily see any of them becoming tv series. As comics, we’ll see how they do but I’m especially excited by Eternity.
Realistically speaking, I can’t imagine this lasting long in the market (would you want to be the dealer who has to gauge interest in each pilot story on a month to month basis?)
Edgy, huh?
None of these particular characters were my favorites, but I definitely welcome seeing some fresh spins on old characters. Bravo!
“Wonder if we might finally get a new Creeper story at some point…this seems like an ideal opportunity.”
With the right creative team THIS would be a fantastic idea.