The oral history of DC Comics’ infamous New 52 reboot
What happened when DC Comics rebooted the universe
www.polygon.com
On Aug. 31, 2011, the comic book industry was supposed to change forever. The release of Justice League #1 wouldn't just relaunch the premier superteam of DC Comics with a new origin story, but be the first of 52 new comic book series that would establish a fresh incarnation of the main DC universe. The initiative, launching throughout September 2011, was called "The New 52," and it marked the company's first attempt in more than two decades to hit the reset button on its sprawling continuity. Every superhero in the DC universe was in for a major update, with the hope of attracting a new generation of readers who could turn the publisher's fortunes around.
Debuting to impressive sales, the New 52 temporarily made DC Comics the dominant force in the industry. The event redefined the company's reputation among fans and creators — for good and ill, with as many upset about the wholesale rejection of decades of stories as excited about the new beginning it offered. Outside of comics, meanwhile, Hollywood's coinciding superhero boom came along just in time for the New 52's updated origin stories to inform Warner Bros.' Justice League, Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad, and Shazam! franchises, enshrining those changes in the minds of millions of moviegoers.
Great article with lots of anecdotes of behind the scenes stories at the time.But the relaunch soon ran into trouble. Within months of its kickoff, sales of the New 52 fell on all but a handful of titles, leading to multiple cancellations and the creation of a number of replacement series that themselves would be brought to quick conclusions due to lack of sales. Behind the scenes, many creators were dealing with confusing and contradictory instructions given to them by editors and executives, or worrying about their job stability as the company tried to regain the momentum the New 52 had in its initial weeks. Of the many prominent participants Polygon contacted for this piece, many declined to speak on the subject, preferring to put a stressful period behind them.
In the end, the industry didn't change forever as a result of the New 52 — and, in fact, neither did the DC universe. Within years, 2016's DC Universe Rebirth, 2017's Doomsday Clock, and 2019's Dark Knights: Death Metalundid the continuity changes of the reboot, piece by piece. Nonetheless, the New 52 proved to be a seismic event in comics, demonstrating that one of the two largest publishers in the industry was willing to bet everything — even its own history — for the potential of a larger fan base, and what doing so actually meant in practice.
