I’m sure this comes as a surprise to no one, but the Rebirth rumor mill continues to churn, as rumor mills are wont to do. And we’ll get to that, I promise. But before we go back to the anxiety-filled world of reboots and retcons, let’s take a nice detour to some pleasant things that are already set in stone.
Big news for CW Flash and CBS Supergirl fans this week: A cross over episode was officially announced. Grant Gustin will be appearing as Barry Allen in an episode of Supergirl titled “Worlds Finest”.
What this is actually going to mean for the future of the DCTV universe, we can’t be sure. This season of Flash has dealt heavily with alternate Earths and changed timelines so it would be entirely possible, if not likely, for this encounter with Kara to have zero effect on Barry’s life in his own show. However, the focus on shared universes between Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow have set a precedent that could also just as easily be carried through to Supergirl. So it’s not completely without hope that we’ll continue to see these two shows collide. Maybe Kara will visit Central City in the future? We can dream.
What interests me most in this scenario is the network politics. I would think that the legality of splitting characters between the CW and CBS would get a little tricky – But I’m no lawyer or TV executive, so we’ll just have to see how this plays out I guess.
Cartoon Network also announced plans for a new animated Justice League cartoon to air later this year called Justice League Action. The show will feature some fan favorite voice actors such as Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill (via DCcomics.com).
And I mean, check out how cute these designs are:
Okay, now let’s get down to business.
Let’s talk Rebirth.
Earlier this week Bleeding Cool spent the better part of a day posting rumors that were coming from an unnamed source they (rather arcanely) called Writer X.
You can get a full round up of all the rumors posted here.
With the exception of some supposed book cancellations and a handful of potential team book changes, not much came to light. In fact, it’s difficult to really tell if anything came to light at all.
Here’s what we know for certain about Rebirth right now:
- It’s going to happen around the time the major titles hit issue 52, so around May/June/July.
- The word “reboot” has not officially been used by anyone at DC.
- In fact, no words at all have been officially used y anyone at DC, with the exception of the teaser images from Didio and Lee.
- Scott Snyder is definitely taking a “vacation” from Batman around the same time his long time collaborative artist Greg Capullo is. He has yet to comment on the validity of any speculation about his future plans.
…And that’s it, really. No other certainties can be named or accounted for.
I said this last week, but it’s worth repeating: I get the distinct impression that the lack of official announcements regarding Rebirth plans ISN’T a ploy to “generate buzz” by DC but rather because DC genuinely does not have anything set in stone yet.
Which…is a bit disconcerting, to be frank. And just a little bit hilarious.
And finally, so we don’t end this week on a totally anxious and semi-sour note, I come bearing good news for all you trade-waiters out there.
A handful of DCYou titles are getting their very first trades printed and will be available very soon at your local comic book shop or bookstore. Some notable titles:
- Midnighter (A personal favorite of mine, definitely pick this book up if you’ve been waiting, it’s also on the rumored Rebirth cancellation list so every bit of support helps!)
- Martian Manhunter (A new favorite of mine – If you’re just meeting J’onn J’onzz for the first time through CBS Supergirl, this is a GREAT place to start).
- Bizarro
- Secret Six
So keep an eye out for those books on the shelves in the coming month.
