Full Details of DC's New Dark Matter Line

On Thursday at the Diamond Retailer Summit in Chicago, DC Comics announced five new titles, encompassing the freshly announced "Dark Matter" line. The books will spin out of the previously announced "Dark Nights: Metal" event by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, and will consist of "The Silencer" by Dan Abnett and John Romita Jr., "Sideways" by Dan DiDio & Justin Jordan and Kenneth Rocafort, "Immortal Men" by James Tynion IV and Jim Lee, "Damage" by Robert Venditti and Tony S. Daniel and "New Challengers" by Scott Snyder and Andy Kubert.

It's notable from DC Comics' press release that these titles are positioned with a heavy emphasis on the series artists, rather than the more writer-focused bent that comic book marketing has had in recent years. That's reflected in comments from DC Entertainment Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee.

"What excites me most is that this series of books takes full advantage of the talent and vision of the creative team," DC Co-Publisher Dan DiDio said in a statement. "Comics are a visual medium and with these titles, the artists are working hand in hand with the writers in shaping the look and direction of their characters. In reaffirming the craft of making comics, we’ve brought together a master class of talent, led by Greg Capullo, Andy Kubert, Jim Lee and John Romita Jr., to help set the style, tone and visual direction for these books. With these four industry giants taking the lead, I feel we can bring the power and energy expected from superhero storytelling back to the page."

"'Dark Matter' is a return to bringing both the writer and artist to the fore to unlock their full potential," Co-Publisher (and "Immortal Men" artist) Jim Lee said in the press release. "At the talent summit we discussed what was missing in comics and how we could create something that’s new for this generation of fans. The result was 'Dark Matter.' You’ll see bombastic action scenes and a visual narrative driven by the artist. This approach has energized the creators involved, myself included, and we’re going to have a lot of fun with these books."

The line is heavily focused on new takes on existing DC Comics concepts, including a new version of the character Damage, and "New Challengers," an update on the Challengers of the Unknown. Initial details for the "Dark Matter" line, scheduled to start in September, follow below.

THE SILENCER

· Debuting in September
· Written by Dan Abnett with art by John Romita Jr.
· Honor Guest was the world’s deadliest assassin, until she traded it all for a chance at a “normal” life in the suburbs, free from the constant death and destruction. But as her former life comes back to haunt her, Honor must strip away her suburban persona and protect her family as THE SILENCER.

SIDEWAYS

· Debuting in September
· Written by Dan DiDio and Justin Jordan with art by Kenneth Rocafort
· Forever changed by the events of DARK NIGHTS: METAL, a teenager struggles to live through high school as he comes in contact with Dark Matter and gains the power to teleport through the Dark Dimension. But each leap brings the new hero one step closer to succumbing to the allure of his new power and its dark origins.

IMMORTAL MEN

· Debuting in October
· Written by James Tynion IV with art by Jim Lee
· Born at the dawn of time, five siblings find that with eternal life comes eternal war. As the forces of destruction march into the modern world, they operate from the shadows, recruiting the elite against the foes who seek to bring about Armageddon. They are humankind’s hope sprung eternal….they are the IMMORTAL MEN.

DAMAGE

· Debuting in October
· Written by Robert Venditti with art by Tony S. Daniel
· Ethan Avery only wanted to serve his country, but promises of becoming the ultimate weapon leave the new recruit living a nightmare. Cursed with the ability to unleash an unstoppable monster for one hour at a time, Ethan only wants to live out his life in peace. But if he can tame the monster inside, it might just be able to do more good for the country than Ethan ever expected.

NEW CHALLENGERS

· Debuting in December
· Written by Scott Snyder with art by Andy Kubert
· Characters live on borrowed time, running from death toward the greatest mysteries, wonders and terrors of the universe! It’s a new cast, new mission, but in conversation with the history and greatness of the original Challengers of the Unknown. The story starts with Challengers Mountain returning after having been missing for years, and only gets wilder from there…

DARK NIGHTS: METAL

· Debuting in August
· Written by Scott Snyder with art by Greg Capullo
· It all begins with DARK NIGHTS: METAL, a story that will examine every choice a hero doesn’t take and every path they don’t walk, opening up worlds that are forged by nightmares. Characters and stories from each of the Dark Matter books will be plotted throughout this series.

Keep reading CBR for the latest on "Dark Nights: Metal" and DC's "Dark Matter" line.