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In something of a switch, DC has just announced that they will be simultaneously releasing new Milestone comics in both digital and print. The series will available day and date for DC Universe Infinite subscribers and in print as periodicals.

The long awaited return of Milestone comics started this year with digital release for Milestone Returns #0: Infinite Edition, a one-shot intro which came out last month, setting the scene of “the Big Bang,” the police-brutality protest that unleashed a sudden wave of superpowers in the city of Dakota.

While the return of Milestone was previously announced as a series of “Digital First” series, the news that they will be available in print should be welcome for both retailers and readers who prefer that format — and digital readers can binge the entire series.

The relaunch has also been pushed back a bit: Static Season One was previously slated for release in April but now comes out in June.

Here’s the new release schedule:

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  • Static: Season One, written by Vita Ayala, with layouts by CHRISCROSS, finishes by Nikolas Draper-Ivey with covers by Khary Randolph launches in print and digital on June 15

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  • Icon and Rocket: Season One, co-written by Reggie Hudlin and Leon Chills, with art by Doug Braithwaite and covers by Taurin Clarke launches in print and digital on July 27

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  • Hardware: Season One, written by Brandon Thomas, with art by Denys Cowan and Bill Sienkiewicz with covers by Mateus Mahanini, launches in print and digital on August 10

All of these will be supported by a variant program: the launch of Static Season One will include a retailer-exclusive variant cover program, plus a “team” variant by artist Olivier Coipel. The full variant cover program details will be revealed in future issues of DC CONNECT, beginning with issue #12, available online on or before April 23, 2021.

Milestone Comics launched in 1993 as a line created by Black creators and featuring characters from underrepresented groups, including Static, the line’s best known character. A return of the line had been in the works for years, and the relaunch has become even more eagerly awaited in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, as the demand for comics featuring Black heroes has grown.

Plus, they are just kick-ass characters with a kick-ass creative line-up.

Anecdotally, I’ve heard retailers telling me they wished that they had print Milestone comics to sell, as interest in the line’s return has been huge. While DC has been putting a lot of effort into their “Digital First” program, I’ve also heard that digital sales can’t match print. Milestone will now be bypassing the “periodical” format entirely.

CORRECTION: This story originally stated that the Milestone series are returning as collections — they are relaunching as periodicals.

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