DC Comics new logo(s)

After a trademark filing went public resulting in intense fan reaction and general curiosity from the comics industry, DC Entertainment saw the final take on its new logo hit the web today. Media and design website Fast Company revealed the final version of a new mark for DC -- one whose animated nature reveals a variety of effects, design elements and other colorful twists on the logo, allowing for themes ranging from Green Lantern to Batman to "Watchmen."

In the story, the site plays up secret identities and superpowers as the new visual cornerstone for DC Entertainment. The logo, which was reportedly in the works for nearly a year, will debut on comic book covers this March. On the heels of that will be a new DC Entertainment website which will focus on the company's entire slate of media offerings, expanding beyond its comic publishing line.

"We didn't want a static logo, but a living identity that could capture the power of our characters and storytelling," DC SVP of franchise management Amit Desai said in the story. "What is special about DC content is the notion of a dual identity. When you think about our DC Comics superheroes, there's a secret identity. When you think about Vertigo, it's this notion of good vs. evil in many of the stories. And so, in addition to flexibility, the new logo communicates this idea of dual identity: There's more than meets the eye. You have to take a closer look to understand the richness of our characters and stories."

The peel-back logo replaces the "DC Spin" which was introduced in 2005 to much fanfare as it replaced the "DC Bullet" which had been in place since 1977. Like most big changes in comics, the leak of the new logo was met with some resistance from readers and bloggers. But DC reportedly tested the new mark with focus groups to their satisfaction. "This was the top performing concept across all consumer segments," Desai told Fast Company.

Updated at 9:55 AM PST: DC has released the following press release and additional images:

Official Press Release

DC Entertainment, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company and home to iconic brands DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD, revealed today a new brand identity. The new identity is reflective of the company's mission to fully realize the value of a rich portfolio of brands, stories and characters, distinguished by incredible breadth and depth across publishing, media and merchandise. A new logo for DC Comics was also introduced, closely aligning with DC Entertainment's new mark.

"It's a new era at DC Entertainment and the new look reflects a dynamic, bold approach while at the same time celebrates the company's rich heritage and robust portfolio of characters," stated John Rood, EVP of Sales, Marketing and Business Development for DC Entertainment. "It was just a few months ago that Superman, Batman and many of our other Super Heroes were updated when we launched DC Comics - The New 52 and now it's time to do the same for the company's identity while remaining true to the power of storytelling which is still at the heart of DC Entertainment."

DC Entertainment worked with Landor Associates, one of the world's leading brand consulting and design firms, to develop an identity that creates a visual connection among the company, its three brands DC Comics, Vertigo and MAD and its vast array of properties as well as celebrates the power of the company's stories and characters. The design of the new DC Entertainment identity uses a "peel" effect - the D is strategically placed over the C with the upper right-hand portion of the D peeling back to unveil the hidden C - symbolizing the duality of the iconic characters that are present within DC Entertainment's portfolio.

"It was our goal to capture DC Entertainment in a dynamic and provocative identity. Our solution is a living expression which changes and adapts to the characters, story lines and the ways fans are consuming content," explains Nicolas Aparicio, Executive Creative Director at Landor's San Francisco office. "The new identity is built for the digital age, and can easily be animated and customized to take full advantage of the interactivity offered across all media platforms."

The new brand identity will come to life across all consumer touch points in order to create a clear and consistent message in support of DC Entertainment. The new identity will begin to appear on comic books and graphic novels as well as new websites in March. Consumers will also see the new identity rolled out over time on other DC Entertainment products from Warner Bros. including film, television, interactive games and merchandise.

"We believe our new brand identity will strongly resonate with our loyal fans who will want to proudly express their affinity for DC Entertainment and their passion for their favorite stories and characters, this new look allows them to easily do this. In addition we were excited to update our identity, it's not often a company gets to revisit something as important as its brand and we took the opportunity to make sure it represented the multi-media business we set out to build with the formation of DC Entertainment," said Amit Desai, SVP of Franchise Management for DC Entertainment.

Stay tuned to CBR News for more as it becomes available.