DCnU Dark Line Appriciation/Discussion

[Let's Kill Hitler]

Figured this line needed it's own mega thread.

Easily the most exciting line from the relaunch this set of books seem to be showcasing the most exciting up and coming talent and old favourites. The line up is made up of the darker side of DCnU whether it be magic, horror or just monsters.

It also show cases the return of several characters from Vertigo to the DCU proper including John Constintine, Swamp Thing and Shade the Changing Man. Anyone who's into Vertigo and especially early/pre Vertigo should be keeping an eye on everything in this line up

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK
Written by PETER MILLIGAN
Art by MIKEL JANIN

SWAMP THING
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art and cover by YANICK PAQUETTE

ANIMAL MAN
Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art by TRAVEL FOREMAN and DAN GREEN

FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E.
Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art by ALBERTO PONTICELLI

I, VAMPIRE
Written by JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV
Art by ANDREA SORRENTINO

RESURRECTION MAN
Written by DAN ABNETT and ANDY LANNING
Art by FERNANDO DAGNINO

DEMON KNIGHTS
Written by PAUL CORNELL
Art by DIOGENES NEVES and OCLAIR ALBERT

So, discuss. What are you getting from this line up? What are you most excited for?

Personally I'm most excited for Animal Man. I'm a sucker for a good horror comic, Jeff Lemire is a very interesting new writer, I love Buddy and his family from the Grant Morrison series and the art is gorgeous.

[Cowtools]

Awesome!

I think this line is going to be the big sleeper hit of the reboot. I know all the women at my LCS are talking about it, and the Frankenstein Flashpoint tie-in sold out there. These are some of the best writers DC has on staff and the art released so far looks insane!

I'll be getting JLD, Demon Knights and Frankenstein. I'd probably get Animal Man and Swamp Thing too if I wasn't so deluded as to give the new Justice League and Superman a chance.

The thing for me, is that last year as I was reading Zatanna and I heard they were planning to integrate some old Vertigo characters into the main DCU, and I thought 'Wouldn't it be cool to get all the main magical characters togethe rin one super team book'. And lo! It hath come to pass.

Cool thought: what if they go the whole hog and decide to bring some of Sandman into the main DC continuity? They already started with Death in Action Comics. Imagine JLD versus the Corinthian, with cameos from Delirium, Thessaly and Timothy Hunter? Wow.

[obii]

Will be interesting to see what the authors bring to the figures.
I am sceptical that the stories will be as good as if they had been under a mature imprint.
But maybe the authors have good ideas and fresh concepts for the figures and stories to make it work.

For myself I will wait and see how it works out.
$3 is till too much for just another superhero story, I rather get something from vertigo or other non superhero stories.

But I hope they have success.

[CaptainBarbel]

I'll check out JLD, even though I HATE the name. I hope they change it at some point. I'll also probably check out Swamp Thing.

[Ace Grayson]

Isn't Voodoo a Dark line? I don't know. From that list, I'm getting Swamp Thing, Animal Man, I Vampire, and Justice League Dark.

[Cowtools]

Will be interesting to see what the authors bring to the figures.
I am sceptical that the stories will be as good as if they had been under a mature imprint.

Actually, I'm glad these title aren't on a mature imprint. I mean, that does that give you? The ability to add more violence, swearing, nudity? IMO none of those things make a comic better reading. And given how gory the main DCU is lately, I'd prefer comics that have to sell themselves on their cool ideas and characterization.

I'd love to have some urban fantasy and sword & sorcery comcis that I could have stocked in the school library, as these are the sort of comics the kids I teach seem to want to read.

[Karl O'Neill]

Appreciation.


Such a problem in the DC Sub-Forums.

[sethysquare]

Isn't Voodoo a Dark line? I don't know. From that list, I'm getting Swamp Thing, Animal Man, I Vampire, and Justice League Dark.

Voodoo is in the edge line, I found it weird that Demon Knights is in the dark line though.

Uhm, I'm only getting Justice League Dark, and would consider Animal Man, Resurrection Man and I, Vampire should the reviews turn out good or get them in TP

[GiantRaven]

I think I'll be getting the whole lot. The Dark line is easily the best thing to come out of the new DCU.

[Let's Kill Hitler]

Isn't Voodoo a Dark line?

It was, it's been moved to the Edge line. Which sense since that seems to be where they're intergrating the Wildstorm characters into the DCnU.

Will be interesting to see what the authors bring to the figures.
I am sceptical that the stories will be as good as if they had been under a mature imprint.
But maybe the authors have good ideas and fresh concepts for the figures and stories to make it work.

I was a little worried by this too but Jeff Lemire has especially has been talking about how it doesn't seem to effect his writing, he just writes it as if it were a Vertigo book and so far no ones called him out on it, especially in Animal Man which is meant some very, very dark moments.

The only thing they're not allowed to include are swears and nudity, everything else is free rain. I mean violence especially isn't a problem in mainstream comics anymore like when the Vertigo imprint was created, a lot of Superhero comics can be very violent now a days.

Anyway, aside from Animal Man I'll be getting;

Justice League Dark-The premise alone has me hooked. I mean the line up on this team is fantastic: Deadman, Zantana, Shade and possibly my favourite comic book character Constintine? I can't wait for this, plus the art is astonishing and I like alot of Milligans stuff, he's writes a great Constintine.

I'm not bothered by the name if it sells books.

Swamp Thing- Big Swampy fan and Scott has been killing it on Detective (havn't got round to american vampire yet). My only worry is that anything compared to Alan's work pales in comparison, but hopefully I can get beyond that an enjoy the book.

Frankenstein-I wasn't big into Seven Soilders but Frankenstein was easily the best part. Such a fun character and world he surrounds himself with. Also I'm a big B-movie fan and what with the creature cammandos and the Bride becoming big parts of the book early on this looks like a fantastic movie monster mash up with plenty of crazy gore and mad settings (monster planet?!)

The other 3, Demon Knights, I Vampire and Resurrection Man are books I'm waiting for reviews on, partly because of budget and partly because; medival fantasy has to be exceptional to hook me, I'm getting American Vampire and I can't justify more than one vampire book and I just don't know enough about Resurrection Man even though I hear great things about the original series.

[Ned McDodd]

I'll check out JLD, even though I HATE the name. I hope they change it at some point. I'll also probably check out Swamp Thing.

I don't mind the title actually, but i hope they don't call themselves Justice League Dark. I mean, i can understand when the Dark-Line of the relaunch has it's own Justice League, but i see no reason why they group themselves would choose that name.

Anyway, JLD is by far my most anticipated book of the relaunch (and i have actually quite a few titles i wanna pick up). I also wanna pick up Swamp Thing, i'm reading at the moment the Hardcovers of Alan Moore's run and love the character.

[Luthor's Wig]

This line of books is what really got me enthusiastic about the relaunch. I love the magic/supernatural side of DC. I'm getting all the Dark books except I Vampire, and I may even have to check that out eventually.

[Let's Kill Hitler]

Cool thought: what if they go the whole hog and decide to bring some of Sandman into the main DC continuity? They already started with Death in Action Comics. Imagine JLD versus the Corinthian, with cameos from Delirium, Thessaly and Timothy Hunter? Wow.

This is something that I'd be very, very cautious about. Sandman is an almost perfect series and, as were Neil Gaimans wishes it ended when he left the book which probably was the best thing that could have happened.

Cameos are fine, Death especially feels like she fits more comfortably into the DCU that the other characters. But I'd be very hesitant about intergrating these characters into the DCU proper without Neil Gaimans hand in it.

It should also be noted that the Sandman didn't really find it's feat until it started distancing itself from the rest of the DCU.

Now a Death monthly book by Neil Gaiman, or just another mini series? That I could get behind.

[matt levin]

JLDark - I like everything except Milligan; just don't get into his stories, which always seem rushed and fractured to me. On the other hand, I've preordered this to give it a chance to engage me, because it is chock full of characters I've enjoyed reading about...we'll see!

Swampthing and Animal Man are two of my favorite characters from way, way back; but Lemire and Snyder haven't engaged me as writers, and I so disliked what happened with the Animal Man title after Morrison left, I'm not sure I pick these up at all, pending raves from all you guys--!

Frankenstein has Lemire, I'm not very interested in team books, and the premise for this didn't catch me up...

I, Vampire: don't know anything about the creators; but enjoyed the first series in House of Mystery at the time (though a recent reread didn't really keep my attention) and so did preorder this.

Resurrection Man is a big question mark for me; don't know the character, or the creators very well, and the initial write up didn't catch me.

Demon Knights, again, I'm unfamiliar with the creators, and I have a problem with Mde. X married to the Demon (do I have this right?) so I'll probably pick this up off the shelf once or twice to give it a chance to hook me.

a lot of this depends on the week they come out, if it's a 'heavy or light' week for me; a light week, and I'll probably get a title or two I hadn't considered, here. Ah, well, we'll see!

[FanboyStranger]

These are the books I've been looking forward to. I think what sets this "Dark" line apart from the rest of the relaunch is that it is quite clear that DC editorial spent some time putting together the right creative teams for these books.