If the DCU was shrunk down to just 12 ongoing titles ...

[Midnighter]

1-Action
2-Detective
3-JLA (double sized with JSA backups)
4-Titans (double sized with Teen Titans backups)
5-Legion
6-Green Lantern/Green Arrow (double sized with GLC backups)
7-Speed force/Flash Family
8-Sensation Comics featuring Wonder Woman and family/Troia/Wonder Girl
9-Brave and the Bold
10-Showcase
11-House of Mystery (Rotating between mystical characters like Swamp Thing/Zatanna/Deadman ect.)
12-JLI (double sized with Suicide Squad backups)

[Kingcrimsonprog]

I'm all for compression in this idea.

Create new titles, that squeeze the maximum number of characters into the smallest number of books.

1. Batman & All Gotham characters. Birds Of Prey etc. Nightwing. Its all here.

2. Superman & All super-characters. Supergirl. Steel. All here.

3. Green Lantern & All lantern characters with regular stories with all other space characters and also new gods.

4. Wonder Woman & All wonder characters and with regular stories with anyone with a fantasy vibe.

5. All Flashes

6. Justice League & The Teen Titans - the big DC team up book. Go to place for interactions between characters. No need for any crisis or crossovers as it all happens in here. No separate Dark, JLA, JLI, Teen Titans or Young Justice. Its ALL here.

7. Elseworlds - new story with new character every month. Anything weird or out of continuity, even little Gotham.

8. DC Classics - reprints classic stories from before 1980, with a mixture of stuff every month, mix it up, put in a batman and superman tale to make it sell and fill it out with Blur Beetle or The Atom or whatever else to get people to know the less famous characters.

9. DC Magic - All magic characters fighting and teaming up with each-other.

10. Rogues Gallery - A book from the bad guys perspectives, all your Joker and Sinsestro and whoever else solo stories.

11. Vertigo & Wildstorm etc. - All the vertigo stuff. All the other stuff DC owns or Owned. Grifter meets the comedian. Whatever. Anything that isn't or wasn't the main DCU.

12. DC Heroes featuring... - A book for all the more famous heroes like Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow etc. What they all go up to when they weren't showing up in the elseworlds or justice/titans or classics books.


If this was to happen though, I'd want it to be the case that there was much more interaction between books and stuff. No characthers lost forever. Get writers to chuck a spare element woman story into the Flash or a random Jonah Hexx flashback into some Magic storyline. Elseworlds having appearances from the characthers without books. A real effort towards making it all fit together.

Your weekly superman story can tell you about what happened in Justice League briefly. Batman can interogate a perp who is also in the Magic storyline. Flash can speed between Wonderwoman's and the rogue's stories. The green lantern's story can take a pit stop in the JL watchtower.

That sort of thing.

[Frostbite883]

In my case...

Action Comics - "Action Comics" will be a "New 52" Superman centric title.

Detective Comics - "Dectective Comics" can focus on Batman and his supporting cast of characters who will for the most be exclusively seen there (Red Robin's the exception as he'll be seen in both that title and another).

Wonder Woman - The "DCnU" Wonder Woman comic's content will be just the same as the existing one's in this scenario.

Aquaman - Aquaman's comic book will remain the same like it had been following the early days of the New 52 initiative.

Green Lantern - The new "Green Lantern" title won't have the same kind of content as it had previously or even the same content presented in 2011's "Green Lantern". The comic will have a somewhat hard reboot type of continuity.

The Flash - The 2011 Flash comic book title will contain stories that mirror the stories seen in the actual book.

Justice League - The comic will feature individual characters from previous incarnations of the team prior to the new one being formed.

Teen Titans - The comic will star Red Robin...and a somewhat different group of super powered teenagers than the ones shown in the real fourth volume of "Teen Titans". The characters will be forming together and fighting alongside each other against their main enemies.

Static Shock - The book will be exactly how it was during the actual early times of "New 52" line here.

Swamp Thing - Swamp Thing's new history and background is going to be altered to fit more in line with the hypothetical "New 52" universe here. Swamp Thing's "New 52" supporting cast and mythos, however, will be exactly like the ones seen in the actual content of the 2011 series.

Grifter - Cole Cash a.k.a. Grifter's title will have the exact, same content as his actual comic title.

DC Universe Presents - It will be a comic book that features and focuses mainly on the "New 52" incarnations of classic DC Comics characters (sometimes in single issue stories, other times in multiple issue story arcs). Characters such as Captain Atom, Jonah Hex, Resurrection Man and others from past DC series.

To note, these titles won't contain mentions or showings of any and all alternate universes or alternate characters for that matter (including, but not limit to the "New 52" version of Earth 2 and it's inhabitants), no mentions of "Post-Infinite Crisis/Pre-Flashpoint" histories and no other books will made...with printed comic material that is as digital comics would be a different story since you didn't indicate whether or not that the rule applies to them.

Also to note, in this hypothetical "New 52" universe will have modern day heroes (Superman, Batman and all the rest) appear since in ten years ago within a sliding, compressed timeline.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

The only way this would work for me is if all DC titles became giant sized with one lead story and a handful of 12 page back-up stories.

1. Superman in Action Comics - with Lois Lane, Supergirl & Legion of Superheroes backups

2. Batman in Detective Comics - with rotating Robin, Catwoman, Nightwing, Batgirl. Batwoman, Red Hood and Gotham Central backups

3. Wonder Woman in Sensation Comics - with a rotating roster of female-driven superhero backups

4. The Flash - with a rotating roster of not only Speed Force-centric character backups, but also Elongated Man, Vibe, Firestorm and others.

5. Green Lantern - with a rotating roster of GLC characters and cosmic-based DCU backups.

6. Justice League - with regular Aquaman & Cyborg backups along with rotating stories featuring various Leaguers past and present.

7. All-Star Comics - one Justice Society lead story with a variety of backups starring various JSA members past and present.

8. Teen Titans - with regular Super-Sons backups and rotating backups of the various younger heroes.

9. Swamp Thing in House of Secrets- with rotating tales of Constantine, and various other horror themed DCU characters and concepts

10. Adventure Comics - with lead stories staring Green Arrow & Black Canary, and Black Lightning's Outsiders with rotating backup features staring DC's various more street-level characters.

11. Doom Patrol - with rotating backups of DC's strangest and most unconventional characters and concepts

12. DC's Worlds of Fantasy - focusing on all the various magical, fantasy, and swords n' sorcery characters like Zatanna, The Demon, Warlord and Amethyst.

[EmeraldGladiator]

Which crucial dozen titles would you choose to publish?

For me:

1. Action Comics starring Superman
2. Detective Comics starring Batman
3. Wonder Woman
4. The Flash
5. Green Lantern
6. Aquaman
7. Green Arrow & Black Canary
8. Shazam!
9. Justice League
10. Titans
11. Legion of Super-Heroes
12. Showcase

For me
1) Green Lantern
2) Legion of Super Heroes
3) Justice Society of America
4) Justice League of America
5) Titans
6) Batman
7) Superman
8) Flash
9) Detective as a batman level team book like the last run
10) Action a DC comics presents type title for team ups and spotlights for less used characters
11) Wildstorm (classic Wildcats, Stormwatch, Devine Right universe title)
12) Milestone (Blood Syndicate, Icon, Static on their own earth title).

[batnbreakfast]

It would be a mistake not having Suicide Squad or Secret Six or Secret Society of Supervillains around. DC thrives on great villains.

[Stromberg]

1. Birds of Prey
2. Wonder Woman
3. Powergirl (by Palmiotti and Conner)
4. Batwoman
5. Justice League
6. The Legion of Super Heroes
7. Green Arrow and Black Canary and/or...
8. Black Canary
9. Midnighter
10. Sensation Comics starring Wonder Woman

... Yep, 10 is all I would want and need.

[married guy]

Superman Family
Batman Family
Titans
Action Comics
Flash Family
Green Lantern Corps
All Star Western
Brave & The Bold
Showcase
All Star Comics

[K7P5V]

1. Action Comics (Superman & friends)
2. Detective Comics (Batman & friends)
3. World's Finest (starring the Justice League)
4. Green Lantern (Hal Jordan & friends)
5. Flash (Barry Allen & friends)
6. New Teen Titans (Dick Grayson & friends)
7. The Power of SHAZAM! (Billy & Mary before "Final Crisis")
8. Leviathan (Talia VS. the world)
9. Dark Knight Returns (anthology series chronicling futuristic stories & alternate realities)
10. The Batman Adventures (continuing stories from the DCAU)
11. Hellblazer (Constantine & friends)
12. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (the world of Alan Moore & his creations)

[Swamp Thing 2099]

Action Comics (starring Superman)
Detective Comics (starring Batman)
Wonder Woman
Flash
Green Lanterns
Justice League
Titans
Green Arrow/Black Canary
Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes
Swamp Thing
Birds of Prey
Justice Society of America

[Gaastra]

Ok so only dcu. No dc kids like scooby team up or adult line like sandman.


Tough choice. (you should start a marvel version in the marvel thread)

Each book would end with a 5 page back up. Here are mine.

1. Action comics
Back up-Steel

2. Detective comics
Back up-nightwing

3. Wonder woman
Back up-stargirl

4. Supergirl
Back up-Superwoman

5. Flash
Backup-Impuse

6. Green Lantern
Back up-GL Corps

7. Aquaman
Back up-Firestorm


8. Justice League
Back Up-JSA

9. Teen Titans
Back up-TT West

10. Harley Quinn
Back Up-Batgirl

11. DC Showcase
Back Up-Umm dc showcase

12. Super Sons
Back Up-Blue Beetle

[Restingvoice]

I forgot if I played this game or not but I want to do it regardless.
1. Justice League
Starring Superman Batman Wonder Woman Aquaman Hal Jordan Green Arrow Barry Allen Martian Manhunter Ryan Choi and so on
2. Titans
Starring Nightwing Donna Troy Starfire Beast Boy Cyborg Wally West Roy Harper Raven Power Girl and so on
3. Outlaws
Starring Red Hood Artemis Bizarro and any characters from other family considered an outlier
4. Birds of Prey
Starring Batgirl Oracle Black Canary Lady Blackhawk Huntress Spoiler
5. Justice League Dark
Starring Swamp Thing Zatanna Constantine Black Orchid Nightmare Nurse Andrew Bennett Etrigan Xanadu and so on
6. Justice Society
Starring Alan Scott Hawkman Jay Garrick Ray Palmer Kent Nelson and so on
7. Teen Titans
Starring Tim Drake Kon-El Cassie Sandsmark Bart Allen Mia Dearden and so on
8. Super Sons
Starring Damian Jon Nobody Wally's kids and Gotham Academy crew
9. Gotham City Sirens
Starring Catwoman Harley Ivy Talia
10. Secret Six
Starring Bane Catman Ragdoll Porcelain Black Alice King Shark and so on
11. Suicide Squad
Starring Amanda Waller Deadshot Killer Croc El Diablo Katana and so on
12. Green Lantern Corps
Starring Guy Gardner John Stewart Kyle Rayner Carol Ferris St. Walker Jessica Cruz Simon Baz Larfleeze Atrocitus and so on

Okay, that's about all the team and the characters I know about.
Each character will only star in one book and one team so there's no inconsistency in characterization and no confusion from appearing in multiple books.
I don't care enough about the age of Action or Detective Comics. My priority is being able to read as many characters as possible while still keeping things consistent.

I forgot Stormwatch, well just move them back to Vertigo.

Also if there's too many Green Lanterns in one title I don't mind spreading them with other groups.

[Frostbite883]

I forgot Stormwatch, well just move them back to Vertigo.

Sorry to nitpick, but Stormwatch is from Wildstorm.

[Frostbite883]

Ok so only dcu. No dc kids like scooby team up or adult line like sandman.

Tough choice (you should start a marvel version in the marvel thread).

I could do a thread like that today.

[Restingvoice]

Sorry to nitpick, but Stormwatch is from Wildstorm.

Oh, they're different?

...Right. Right. There are three that got combined. DC, Vertigo and Wildstorm. Constantine is from Vertigo, Stormwatch and Grifter from Wildstorm.