If you are a fan of DC comics then you likely heard all about the recent changes made at the company. From the publisher's Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns' departure from GREEN LANTERN, to the cancellations of six 'New 52' titles as well as some major shifts made to creative teams, things have really been turned upside down over at DC. For those of us who have been reading GREEN LANTERN for the last decade, this news is huge. Not only that, but some of the titles that many of us had been enjoying are now gone. So, how do we feel? Collectively, the entire Staff here at Comic Vine feel pretty strongly about the recent announcements and changes made in the company, so we thought it would be good to sound off and give our thoughts on all of the recent announcements. Now, without further ado, here are our biggest concerns (as well as what we are looking forward to) in regards to the recent changes made at DC.

Tony's Thoughts

Concerns:

Cancellations are never fun to hear. In some cases they're not a surprise. For a book like TEAM 7, it does seem a little sudden. It was a great idea having a series set in the New 52's past. This may be a minor contention for those that like to nit-pick over what did or did not happen but there was value in the idea. I still would love to see a series or stories set 'in the past' to see more on how the New 52 versions of the characters we're not reading developed. The zero issues showed us, in many cases, that there are quite a bit differences in characters' histories.

There is obvious deep concern over GREEN LANTERN. This isn't to say that Geoff Johns is the only person that is capable of writing the character but nine years is pretty impressive. Nine years with great stories in this corner of the DCU. It could be a good thing for someone new to come in and put their stamp on the characters but there will be the fear that it could take a turn for the worse. The 'big names' at DC seem to already have their hands full on other titles. It may be completely possible that a newer and less experienced writer could be out there ready to tell the greatest GL stories ever. I will admit I'm afraid. We'll have to wait for an announcement on who is next and whether the writer for issue 21 will be the new ongoing writer.

Positives:

I'm not sure how I feel about THE GREEN TEAM as a new series but I love the fact that Art Baltazar and Franco are writing a New 52 title. They're great guys and talented writers. How they take on a more serious book will be interesting. These guys will definitely add a different feel to the DCU.

There's also THE MOVEMENT. Again, not sure about the actual series but I absolutely love Freddie Williams II's art. He needs to be put on a really great book that will last. I have no idea if this is the one but I want and need to see more of his artwork.

Really excited to see what Justin Jordan will bring to SUPERBOY.

Sara's Thoughts

Concerns:

I know I am probably one of the few people enjoying (or even reading) this series, but the cancellation of SWORD OF SORCERY was pretty disappointing to see. Although even I hesitated initially when I first heard about the book, after having given it a chance, I found I really enjoyed it. The comic is really well written and there are very few like it being published. What I most enjoyed about this series is the fact that it targeted this untapped demographic: it's a book I wouldn't mind lending my younger niece to read. Sure, it's about a Princess wielding magical powers, but it's also about more than just that. At it's core, it's a well written story about a teenage girl on her own personal journey of self discovery and it's written in a way that feels accessible. The story also featured cameos from other characters like Constantine and it was just starting to get really interesting.

While I understand that comics is a market, just like anything else, and the sales numbers for this series declined at a rapid rate, I do wonder if the publisher had done enough to promote the series in general. I truly think that all the blame should not fall on the shoulders of the creative team and that often there are other external factors that can contribute to whether a series will fail or succeed -- like how much or how little a comic is promoted by the publisher, for example.

Positives:

When BATWING first launched I thought the concept was pretty interesting, and although I did enjoy a lot of what Judd Winick had done for the series and its central characters, I do think it may be time for a fresh take. Being that I am a huge fan of so much of Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray's work on JONAH HEX, ALL-STAR WESTERN, POWER GIRL and etc., I am definitely looking forward to seeing what this team has in store for BATWING.

Mat's Thoughts:

Concerns: Johns Leaves GREEN LANTERN

Writer Geoff Johns leaving GREEN LANTERN made me feel like my life-long friend (who happens to be a dog) was hit by a car and left on the road, for dead. I was extremely bummed out, since GREEN LANTERN REBIRTH was one of the comics that got me back into reading super-hero books. The way he expanded and built on that universe was brilliant. He took a good character and made him great. His nine year run on this series is one of my favorites. That being said, you can't really trap a guy into a series forever, can you? If Johns doesn't have any more stories to tell in the Green Lantern world, why force it? At some point, he's going to have to pass the reigns to another writer, so why not leave on top, rather than leave 4 years from now when he's just forcing it?

At the same, maybe seeing a new writer on this book will be a good thing. As great as Geoff Johns was with GREEN LANTERN, he's not the only amazing writing in the world or at DC. New blood could easily build on the mythos Johns established and add to this world. It's not like Johns isn't writing for DC anymore though. He's still on AQUAMAN, which he's been doing fantastic on thus far, and let's not forget he's still writing JUSTICE LEAGUE as well. So while we're all still in a bit of shock that Johns is no longer writing the book that made him a household name, GREEN LANTERN still has a bright future.

Positives:

While there was a butt-load (which is not an actual measurement by any means) of cancellations recently, two new books were announced: THE GREEN TEAM and THE MOVEMENT. DC is once again dipping into the character-well and reintroducing the world to the Green Team from DC 1st Issue Special #2. The original book was about boy millionaires, and now it's about teen trillionaires. On the opposite side we have The Movement. This is going to essentially be the Occupy Movement vs the 1% in comic book format, from what the announcements look like.

I've been a big fan of DC digging into their vaults to give none A-listers a chance. Seeing books like this only makes me thing we're one step closer to LADY COP getting her own series (that's a joke). The idea of these two series I'm only so-so on, but what really interests me is the fantastic creative teams behind these books. GREEN TEAM has Art Baltazar, Franco, and Ig Guara working on it, while The MOVEMENT has Gail Simone and Freddie Williams II on it. Great creative teams can make any idea appealing. Sure, these books may not be my cup of tea, but neither was JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK, when it came out, and now it's one of my favorite books. Heck, I'm willing to give anything a try, comic wise, as long as I like the team involved. As weird as it may sound, I'm super-pumped for both of these series and I can't wait to read them.

Greg's Thoughts:

Concerns: DEATHSTROKE Title Cancellation.

Right as DEATHSTROKE starts to get good again, DC pulls the rug out from under our feet. I get that a series focused on a single villain is obviously a tough thing to sell to most, but come on, they're not even giving new writer Justin Jordan a fair chance to redeem the character! He literally had two (yes, a whopping TWO) issues with Slade Wilson before DC decided to terminate the Terminator.

The title clearly went through a rough patch, but Jordan's work on the title was very promising. His version of Deathstroke wasn't only an amazing mercenary -- he was also smart and that's a key part of the character that cannot be overlooked. Sure, we'll see him appear in stories from time to time, but there's really enough depth there to warrant his own solo book. It's just a shame that's being taken away from us, especially as Jordan started to restore our faith in the title. But hey, at least we still have RED LANTERNS, right? ...right?

What's next?

There have been a lot of changes, and we are sure that many of you have your concerns. What do you think? Who do you think should replace Geoff Johns on GREEN LANTERN? What shift in creative team are you most looking forward to seeing? Which title are you sad to see canceled? Sound off in the comments section, below!

Concerns: DEATHSTROKE Title Cancellation.

My concerns as well.

Writer Geoff Johns leaving GREEN LANTERN made me feel like my life-long friend (who happens to be a dog) was hit by a car and left on the road, for dead. I was extremely bummed out, since GREEN LANTERN REBIRTH was one of the comics that got me back into reading super-hero books. The way he expanded and built on that universe was brilliant. He took a good character and made him great. His nine year run on this series is one of my favorites. That being said, you can't really trap a guy into a series forever, can you? If Johns doesn't have any more stories to tell in the Green Lantern world, why force it? At some point, he's going to have to pass the reigns to another writer, so why not leave on top, rather than leave 4 years from now when he's just forcing it?

There is obvious deep concern over GREEN LANTERN. This isn't to say that Geoff Johns is the only person that is capable of writing the character but nine years is pretty impressive. Nine years with great stories in this corner of the DCU. It could be a good thing for someone new to come in and put their stamp on the characters but there will be the fear that it could take a turn for the worse. The 'big names' at DC seem to already have their hands full on other titles. It may be completely possible that a newer and less experienced writer could be out there ready to tell the greatest GL stories ever. I will admit I'm afraid. We'll have to wait for an announcement on who is next and whether the writer for issue 21 will be the new ongoing writer.

I feel the same.

I hope they get some one critically acclaimed to write the book. I trust Geoff Johns to find someone good to succeed him.

Thank you for actually mentioning Deathstroke. Rob Liefeld took that series and made it into something horrible yet so typical of something only he'd do, terrible artwork and even worse stories. Not to mention his stupid Lobo fetish that had to be put front and center.

DC made a terrible decision cancelling Deathstroke, hell they made a terrible decision when they decided to hire Liefeld in the first place. I remember the ad in JL#9 "comics superstar ROB LIEFELD takes control of DC's hardest hitters!". Seriously, words cannot describe how idiotic, moronic and naive DC have been.

I would love to see Ed Brubaker take on Green Lantern.

@G-Man How come nobody has mentioned that all of the books in the Green Lantern corner (New Guardians/Corps/Red Lanterns) will be getting new writers?

The cancellation of Sword of Scorcery is the worst one. That was a fantastic series and was glad to see Amethyst back in action with a great creative team. Beowulf had some beautiful art in it as well. Real shame, too... Sometimes I think that people wouldn't know a good comic if it bit them in the rear....

However, I am at the point where I don't want to pick up any new series because I always have this feeling like it's going to be cancelled! I'd rather spend the money on Image and Dark Horse anyway, then pick up a graphic novel after the series is cancelled.

I'm another one of the few that like "Sword of Sorcery". The only mistake DC did was the $3.99 price. If it was $2.99 and only the main story it might have lasted longer. But, like in the case of Frankenstein, I don't blame DC, but the fans. Most complain that there are not enough diverse books or books with female leads, but they never gave this one a chance. It started with really bad sales, which means that people didn't even try it. I guess they had the childish view that it's for girls only. But what matters is if a book is well-written and that one was.

The good thing is that Marx is moving on to BoP. She's the reason I haven't dropped that book. I want to see her work on that one and I hope she gives this book direction.

I'll just be grateful when Joker gets his face back to normal.

I'm extited about the titles which will replace the canceled ones, but I'm also terrified for the same reason. I want to see cetain books (I miss my Red Robin) but I'm afraid about the creative teams.

Matt Kindt, Joshua Fialkov, Keith Giffen and China Mieville all would be swell for the Lantern books.
BB

Changes in writers, cancellation, etc. are business as usual. Looking forward to the replacement writers and replacement titles. I like realistic superheroes like superheroes who are terrorists or rebels. Rich people using money to reengineer themselves to have powers also makes sense to me. I also like to see more government superheroes like Freedom Fighters, Checkmate, Black Razors, Meta Marines, Blackhawks, Team 7, etc.

I hope that Giffen gets a GL book too,

Threshold will have the same problem as Sword of Sorcery. Its a great book, but it didn't get a lot of hype and it has a $3.99 price point.

I am very concerned about the Green Lantern books. I also have been reading Green Lantern since Rebirth in 2004. I just hope the new team on the Green Lantern books won't be terrible, they don't have to be as good as Geoff Johns, but please don't suck.

I am more worried about Legion which right now is at the bottom of the pile. Legion used to be as popular as JLA in the bronze age and both had monthly giant sized comics for a while. Dc needs to do something to save the Legion. Marvel is even making a movie of Guardians of the Galaxy and Dc has Legion at the bottom of the New 52. Threshold is just starting and offers no competition to Marvel's guardians. Pre flashpoint, justice society was a significant force on the main earth and I hope dc will also rebuild justice society on the main earth with members like Michael Holt, Courtney Whitmore, etc.

it's a book I wouldn't mind lending my younger niece to read. Sure, it's about a Princess wielding magical powers, but it's also about more than just that. At it's core, it's a well written story about a teenage girl on her own personal journey of self discovery and it's written in a way that feels accessible.

While I can agree with that for Amethyst, I believe a major flaw with Sword of Sorcery was the incompatible backup features. I enjoyed the Beowulf feature, but it didn't have the same tone as Amethyst. The first Stalker chapter was even more incompatible. I feel like the titles in Sword of Sorcery as well as Threshold would be better served if they were sold separately from each other. Larfleeze would probably benefit most from being sold a digital first series.

Will Swords be in trade anytime soon? I just started hearing buzz about it, so I'm bummed it's cancelled, but would like to pick up the trade, especially for the future. Sounds like the perfect way to introduce comics to a daughter/niece.

For the Green Lantern family, I think it should be easy to do solo titles for Carol Ferris star sapphire, Guy Gardner as a yellow lantern, Jack Moore red lantern, etc.

The S.o.S. cancellation really upset me...

I hate that the "Red Hood And The Outlaws" creative team is being changed. So far I think the art is terrible. Kenneth Rocafort was the best. T. Green draws Red Hood's helmet like a bowl. no shape to it or anything. I'm certainly glad he's not the permanent penciler.

John's Green Lantern will be a tough act to follow but it had to happen eventually. I'm sad to see him go but optimistic that the impact he had on the character and the franchise will hold strong through future creators. I'm really bummed Mahnke is off the book too. I hope they get an A Caliber artist too. Preferably not Tony's choice though, that'd be a real dealbreaker. But I'd really like to see John Stewart get his own title so all the Earth Green Lanterns can have their own series and then we can just cancel Red Lanterns.

I'd be more upset about Sword of Sorcery if I had actually read it. I like the idea of more female lead titles but the Amethyst character doesn't appeal to me. Why don't we have a Zatanna title?

I feel Deathstroke sales really took a dive with Liefeld and then his replacement just kind of got a bad deal.

The cancellation of Sword of Sorcery made me saddest. It's a series that was horrendously overlooked and possessed great art, writing, and potential. My only hope is that DC (somehow) finds a way to let Marx continue to write Amethyst (maybe a solo 2.99 series down the line?)

someone at DC doesnt seem to get that Rob Liefeld kills books. now they're blaming the book for his failure?

grrr...

It was cool to read Tony's, Matt's, and Greg's thoughts on the changes at DC. This New 52 reboot has really damaged DC.

This -

I truly think that all the blame should not fall on the shoulders of the creative team and that often there are other external factors that can contribute to whether a series will fail or succeed -- like how much or how little a comic is promoted by the publisher, for example.

The only thing that's really bothered me is the disappearance of certain characters like Obsidian.

I love most of the new costumes especially Superboy's N.O.W.H.E.R.E. red and black affair!!!!

Green Lantern seems to have declined since blackest night, I'm glad the writer's changed.

@Loki2u said:

I would love to see Ed Brubaker take on Green Lantern.

At first this seemed like an odd pick to me but then I remembered Brubaker's Captain America run...and his Daredevil run...and his Catwoman run...and and and...:D

Green Lantern would still be really different from his usual stuff.

Sword of Sorcery was my second favorite DC title and I was sad about it getting cancelled, it was so good but so under the radar there really wasn't much hope for it in the first place.

Am I the only person who thinks that The Movement and The Green Team look really bad? It is rare when a book can't spark at least a little interest from me but honestly those look awful. At least that Snyder-Lee Superman series is around the corner.

Justin Jordan on Superboy will be a God send, Tom DeFalco is just not doing that great on it. My biggest concern is Micheal Alan Nelson taking over Supergirl. Mike Johnson has been great and I hope it can continue.

Interesting stuff. I only read a dew DC books but with the cancellation of I, Vampire I will be looking for another DC book. Im interested where this is all leading, when the dust settles then I will look for another book.

@colonyofcells: the JSA is being redone in James Robinson's Earth 2 and it's fantastic. Moving them to the main earth would be a terrible idea. They deserve to be the premier superhero team of their earth, on the main earth they'd be stuck playing second fiddle to the Justice League

Anyway, I know he's not taking on any new projects after Action Comics and Multiversity, but does anyone else kind of wonder what would happen if Grant Morrison got his hands on Green Lantern?

I think Geoff leaving GL is a good thing. I've liked his run and at times loved it. But he's more than made his mark on the character. Time to share your toys DC. I'm not phased by any of the cancellations. Wasnt reading any of those series. 

@GundamHeavyarms said:

Threshold will have the same problem as Sword of Sorcery. Its a great book, but it didn't get a lot of hype and it has a $3.99 price point.

Exactly. Almost no one has mentioned that as a reason for the book's poor sales (maybe because many of the people writing such stories don't think about price), but I think most people (including myself) are reluctant to spend $3.99 on a DC book unless they know they are getting their money's worth. That price probably sped the demise of G.I. Combat as well.

If DC wants to have a two-tier price system, they should just raise the price on all of their New 52 Batbooks and maybe a few other top sellers to $3.99 (some of them are already there). Those books will sell no matter what. But having that price for fledgling books that are going to have trouble at any price doesn't make sense.

None of the cancellations effect me, as I wasn't reading any of them anyway. However, the change-up of the Lantern books has got me feeling a little anxious.

Not happy about Johns leaving GL. It's been one of my favorite series since GL Rebirth. Could care less about the other titles because I don't read any of them.

This just in : J. J. Abrams has been hired to take over all of the Green Lantern books. He will be introducing a new power. Green Lantern Lense Flair.

What issue will Palmiotti and Gray begin working on Batwing? Will they also still be doing All-Star Western?

@Loki2u: yes. his work with the winter soldier was amazing, for him to be created not even 10 years ago and already appearing in a movie shows his ability to make characters matter. i just hope he wouldnt kill hal like he did steve rogers even though i like winter soldier. but i do like simon baz( i think his name is)

I feel like DC is already at the point where all their characters will start to plummet like usual, so sad DC can't figure out how to go forward.

@bloggerboy said:

@Loki2u said:

I would love to see Ed Brubaker take on Green Lantern.

At first this seemed like an odd pick to me but then I remembered Brubaker's Captain America run...and his Daredevil run...and his Catwoman run...and and and...:D

Green Lantern would still be really different from his usual stuff.

You do notice that all of his acclaimed stuff is crime/spy stuff while his other stuff has been received rather poorly?
BB

@Rayman3337 said:

I hate that the "Red Hood And The Outlaws" creative team is being changed. So far I think the art is terrible. Kenneth Rocafort was the best. T. Green draws Red Hood's helmet like a bowl. no shape to it or anything. I'm certainly glad he's not the permanent penciler.

I hate Timothy Green's art too, it's ugly and awful. He'll be gone by issue #19 though which is when James Tynion hops on board as the new writer.

Sucks that Geoff Johns left Green Lantern but hopefully, for all GL fans sake, they find a great writer for the series because if they cancel GL due to poor sales then it's a wrap for DC.

When you step back and look at it, it's weird. 19 of the books put out in the first wave have been canceled, and of ALL the 69 titles since the reboot (including ones that haven't come out yet) exactly 1/3 of them failed. I think a lot of that is because DC has been pushing stuff people don't want, like Firestorm, Red Lanterns, or Resurrection Man; whereas other comics seemed interesting at first, but don't pan out, like JLI, Static, or Team 7. I think the majority of the blame needs to be put on the editorial teams. If there was more planning on the front end, we wouldn't have to settle for bad books, that DC knows will be bad, doesn't promote, and then cancels. It's like some things are only published so they can say they're not running a deficit, lose 4 books, need at least 4 books to replace them.

I'm calling it now that Green Team will be mediocre at best, and The Movement will be terrible, as will Vibe. Constantine could be really great, if the creative team takes its cues from his old Vertigo series.

I'm going with DC's new philosophy is if it doesn't involve Batman or involves Wildstorm cancel it.

DC means detective comics so all of the non batman characters are just a sideline.

DC has been pretty much a disapointment since the relaunch. Some book are okay, but after buying oh so many, I feel like I got duped by DC. I'm more negative towards them posative. The books that seem to be good every month are the books that were not really changed that much at all. Batman and Green Lantern. I do really enjoy Stormwatch, but it seems like I'm the only one, and now they're going to get revamped again when they don't need to. Now Deathstroke is gone too. They should have never put Liefeild on it to begin with. I didn't even bother when he was on it. I do like it now tho, and now it's gonna be gone too. What then hell. No wonder Marvel keeps rocking out like they do, and now with their changes are doing it again. There is no debate who is the better company right now. I think changes need to be made in the higher-ups at DC not the books.

"But hey, at least we still have RED LANTERNS, right? ...right?"

Oh. Cute. More Red Lanterns hate. The book that gets routinely crapped on even though it's not being reviewed or read.

DEATHSTROKE and TEAM 7 SHOULDN'T BE CANCELLED!!!!

With dc not being able to catch up to marvel, maybe Warner Brothers should just give up on superheroes and sell dc to Marvel.

"But hey, at least we still have RED LANTERNS, right? ...right?"

Oh. Cute. More Red Lanterns hate. The book that gets routinely crapped on even though it's not being reviewed or read.

The biggest concern is with New 52 overall sales continuing to fall back towards the pre-reboot numbers, combined with the large number of already failed series, what is the long term strategy going forward?

DC has already proven they are willing to blow things up entirely, what will they do if/when the New 52 is no longer considered a success.