DC Entertainment, the publisher of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, announced it has signed an exclusive five-project deal (including at least two original book projects) with Frank Miller, acclaimed creator of the bestselling Batman graphic novel, The Dark Knight Returns. The deal will be announced during the DC Publishers panel, which will be live-streamed from the WonderCon convention in Anaheim, Calif., on Saturday.
As part of the new deal, Miller will write Superman Year One, a new standalone graphic novel with art by John Romita Jr., in a story that DC says will redefine the Man of Steel for today’s fans. Also part of the new deal: Miller will write his first YA graphic novel, an untitled work with art by Ben Caldwell, that will star Carrie Kelley, a young girl first introduced in The Dark Knight Returns, who succeeds Robin as Batman’s partner.
In a phone interview, DC co-publishers Dan Didio and Jim Lee (who is also one of DC’s most popular artists), emphasized that the new deal with Miller is one part of several ongoing initiatives (which include several new imprints) to focus its publishing on the book trade and to better position DC Entertainment in an evolving North American comics marketplace. Long dominated by sales of monthly superhero periodicals via comics shops, the American comics industry is beginning to acknowledge a future that will be defined by new readers looking for book format graphic novels.
“We’re looking at our business strategy and how the market and our fans have changed,” Didio said. “We’re developing a new strategy about how we deal with all our characters and we want to get the widest audience possible.”
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