[Updated] DC's NEXT WEEKLY SERIES "COUNTDOWN" TO DEBUT IN MAY

[MattBrady]

Updated with a cover of the May Previews: While DC apparently held it from the online release of their May solicitations last week, it appears as if the publisher’s next big weekly DC Universe project will debut in May, and will be released in reverse order for one year until another unnamed DC event.

Called Countdown, Direct Market comic book retailers have received the solicitation for the first four issues in a preview of the full Diamond Previews catalog arriving in stores next week. Here is the text sent to retailers…

COUNTDOWN 51-48
Written by Paul Dini and others
Breakdowns by Keith Giffen
51 written by Paul Dini; art by Jesus Saiz
50 written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray; art by Jim Calafiore
49 written by Tony Bedard; art by Carlos Magno
48 written by Adam Beechen; art by David Lopez
Covers by Andy Kubert & Tim Townsend

The event of the year is here! This brand-new, year-long weekly series features a cast of hundreds where anything goes! With head writer Paul Dini and a rotating team of some of the industry’s best writers and artists, COUNTDOWN will serve as the backbone of the DCU in 2007.

When a character dies in COUNTDOWN 51, it sets off an unexpected ripple that will touch virtually every character in the DC Universe.

The COUNTDOWN is on…so begins the end!
COUNTDOWN 51 on sale May 9
COUNTDOWN 50 on sale May 16
COUNTDOWN 49 on sale May 23
COUNTDOWN 48 on sale May 30
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

This project presumably is the centerpiece of the teaser image released by DC a few weeks ago.



Look for more information on Countdown when it’s available.

[WiseManShazam]

Looks interesting

[Morbius]

The numbering is giving me unfortunate Zero Hour flashbacks.

[God-Man]

I'll wait until more info about this book is released, but right now I'm leaning towards getting this.

[Cmdr_Y]

well - I'll check it out, but my wallet is hurtin'!

I do like that dini fella.

[KoozyK]

yup. this has been in the forums for some time now.

excited? you betcha! dini and giffen are great! although the price point seems weird being that 52 was .50 less...

[The Bry]

took them long enough...Zero Hour Flashback here I come :P

[Ken B.]

What the hell is Andy Kubert doing drawing the covers? He's a slow artist, so you give him even more reasons to be late on his monthly book? DC hasn't learned anything over the past two weeks.

Other than that, looks good. I like Califore's work, hopefully he'll be one of the rotating artists on this series.

DC impressed me with 52, so I'll be there to pick this title up. As long as it stay weekly. Although that 2.99 is pretty steep. I may have to drop a book or two to make up for the slack.

[shady878]

must need more info...so far not that impressed...also Giffen is working like a motherf*cker, props!

[dantebk]

I don't know about this. I love Paul Dini on Detective but I don't know if I want to invest in this. Isn't this a little soon? I know 52 was profitable, and I don't want to accuse them of money-grubbing since I'm not privy to their interoffice communications, but I question the artistic necessity of a 52 2 so quickly after the first one.

[cncoyle]

Will it have a different writer each week?
Are there fifty-two writers in the industry, Mr. Owl?

And I'm going to need more info than "Anything Goes", Cole Porter, before I commit to this series. (Although Kyle and Donna swing my decision-making pendulum towards the "yes" category.)

And $2.99? Ouch, man.
The pendulum goes back to "maybe"...

[Skyrider]

Originally Posted by Morbius

The numbering is giving me unfortunate Zero Hour flashbacks.

HAhahhahahha!

Yeah I was wondering why that was makin me twitch.

[Groovie Mann]

i like some of the cretaive team line ups. might buy this.

[Colonsus]

Congratulations, DC- you've decided that all the bigger Geeks out there will now owe you $3 a week for the rest of eternity!

I'll pass.

[Uchiha_Prodigy]

Another 52 issues to collect,......wonderful

[God-Man]

Originally Posted by cncoyle

And $2.99? Ouch, man.
The pendulum goes back to "maybe"...

Yeah, that hurt my enthusiasm for this project as well. I figure though, it won't hurt my wallet too much if I drop a few books from here until May. A few books that I buy now will expire by the time Countdown begins (Ion, Uncle Sam, Firestorm, 52, Manhunter), and I plan to at least drop Wonder Woman. So, four issues of Countdown would replace most of the book I won't be reading then. Right now, I'm on the fence, but hell, I'll probably buy it anyway.

[ShamrockLad]

Originally Posted by Ken B.

What the hell is Andy Kubert doing drawing the covers?

Adam Kubert and Jim Lee already had too much on their plates!

[alan brown]

Sigh.
Burned out on the sometimes good 52.
Dini's run on Detective hasn't wowed me, and hasn't maintained a monthly schedule either.
Not hating, just waiting for the trade.

[michaelman9]

I love Dini so I am interested. I just don't know if I want to do another weekly comic. I am also not sure if I like that each person is writing it separately. It doesn't seem as unified as 52 was.

I'll wait for more details.

[AuburnTiger]

Will this series take place in the current DCU? One of the reasons I was comfortable dropping 52 was because it was in the past, at least relative to the other DCU books I was reading.

If this one is current I may get it.

[tof]

I hope we get more info in Previews or during NYCC: so far it is as much descriptive and useless as the ""Classified Information" Marvel put on their post-Civil War solicits...

[Trusty Mutsi]

I just am not moved anymore when solicitations say "A character will die...."

DC characters are dopping left and right. It's just not shocking anymore.

[Andres]

Eh... while I may have liked 52 I don't really want to spend money on another one of these weekly comics. I would have considered it if didn't cost 3 bucks.

[smipet27]

Awesome. Now if only they can manage twelve issues of Wonder Woman a year...

[Ziggy]

the 3 bucks over the 2.50 isn't a big deal. especially if you had room in your budget for 52. if you can afford $15.50 a week for comics, then you can afford $16.00