After 1,257 days, DC Comics has finally announced two new mainline ongoing series starring Black superheroes. During its “DC Next Level panel” at San Diego Comic-Con, the publisher revealed a pair of long-awaited titles as part of its creator-driven initiative spotlighting fan-favorite and underutilized characters: Vixen and Static.
For the first time ever, Mari McCabe, better known as Vixen, will headline her own ongoing series. Two-time Eisner Award nominee Stephanie Williams (Temporal, Roots of Madness), the first Black woman ever nominated for Best Writer at the Eisner Awards, will write the series, with art by Khary Randolph (Excellence, Spawn).
During the panel, Williams said that the book will feature Mari telling people who she is instead of everyone assuming, saying that it will be like “Rihanna finally decided to be a superhero.”
Then, in a shocking return after having just joined The New Titans, Static will receive his first ongoing series in 15 years, written by acclaimed Miles Morales: Spider-Man scribe Cody Ziglar. The series will feature art by Diego Olortegui (Justice Society of America).
Ziglar said Static is “dusting off the cobwebs and reintroducing himself to the superhero world.” The last Static ongoing a New 52 run that only lasted eight issues. Static also featured in a Milestone Returns limited series in 2021, written by Vita Ayala with art by Nikolas Draper-Ivey and ChrisCross.
Neither of these titles has a release date, but their announcements mark a major moment for DC Comics following calls for more consistent representation in the publisher’s mainline titles. Now, it will be up to the fans to rally behind these books and challenge the long-standing stigma that “Black comics don’t sell.” Regardless of what comes next, these characters-and the creators bringing them to life-have long deserved opportunities like this.
Additional reporting by Isabel Dieppa
Stay tuned to The Beat for more news from SDCC ’26.
