DC's "Channel 52" ad by Freddie E. Williams II appears in this week's releases, teasing an upcoming initiative.

From advertisements to convention panels, comic publishers are always looking for ways to message to their readership, but some of the most direct real estate for fan outreach has always been the back pages of the comics themselves.

This week, DC Comics appears to be changing its promotional strategy on that front with a new "Channel 52" feature that's popped up in the back of this week's new titles. The teaser ad features art by Freddie E. Williams II with what appears to be Superman supporting characters/Daily Planet reporters Steve Lombard and Cat Grant alongside Ambush Bug and Calendar Man.

The ad appears to herald the replacement of "DC Comics: All Access" - the current feature that caps the end of each DCU title. In the past, the publisher has had promotional outreach in their books including the longtime "Direct Currents" column and most recently a "DC Nation" feature which along with "All Access" effectively took the spot of a traditional letters column at DC.

"Channel 52's" original art and tongue-in-cheek nature (the ad promises "all the news" and "some of the facts") seems to note a bit more creative content in the feature, but whether that means more web content, letters columns or even an actual comic remains to be seen. DC had no comment for CBR at press time.

In any event, this isn't the first time DC has used Channel 52 branding. Last October, the title was used for an informal fan Q&A Co-Publisher Dan Didio conducted from his basement.

Stay tuned to CBR for more as it becomes available.