A Guide to DC All In’s Fourth Wave of Comics

2024’s New York Comic Con brought plenty of new announcements for DC Comics, continuing their winning streak from this summer’s San Diego Comic Con. While nothing could quite match the reception of the company showing off their long-awaited Absolute Universe or the superstar roster of their new line-wide All In initiative, this October had DC showing off multiple new titles to keep the wave of excitement going.

Some of these announcements would have been revealed regardless of NYCC, as a part of DC’s standard monthly solicitations, but the rest covered a wide array of books readers could expect to see later in 2025. Fans were treated to a second wave of Absolute Comics announcements and the sequel to one of Batman’s most iconic stories, all helmed by superstar creative teams— as well as the return of a beloved branch of DC.

Batman: Hush Is Getting An Official Follow-up

Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee, Alex Sinclair, Scott Williams, & Richard Starkings

Batman: Hush has left its mark on the Batman mythos as one of the most iconic stories featuring the character, acting as a good hook for new readers to invest themselves in the world of Gotham City. With art by industry legend Jim Lee, a mystery by the same writer behind The Long Halloween and Dark Victory, and a new villain who would become a mainstay of Batman’s rogues, there was little wonder about how the series left its mark.

Rumors have been swirling for a few months that the story would get a sequel by its original creators in the main Batman title after the conclusion of Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Jimenez’s run, and NYCC fully validated these discussions with the official unveiling of Batman: Hush 2. There was even the announcement that colorist Alex Sinclair, inker Scott Williams, and letterer Richard Starkings would return alongside writer Jeph Loeb and artist Jim Lee. No details have been shown about the story itself. Still, it will follow up on an epilogue featured in the story’s 20th-anniversary edition and a teaser to be released at the end of November’s Justice League Unlimited #1.

While Batman: Hush has received several follow-ups over the years, most notably the Heart of Hush and House of Hush stories by Paul Dini, Dustin Nguyen, and Derek Fridolfs, many are anticipating what the original creative team will bring to the table—especially with Lee’s return to the series interiors for the first time in years.

Absolute Martian Manhunter Is Taking A Truly Innovative Turn

Deniz Camp & Javier Rodriguez

The Absolute Universe’s main goal is to present radical reinventions of DC’s existing catalog of characters. This has made itself clear in the first five titles unveiled for this universe, hinged around removing a key element from its leads and seeing how they flourish independently of them. Still, Absolute Martian Manhunter’s pitch is the boldest out of the bunch, deeply committing to the world’s premise in a way that makes its contemporaries’s directions pale in comparison.

For starters, the series’ look seems to be rather unique. Javier Rodriguez’s simple, clean style—primarily relegated to colors outside a few series like Exiles and Zatanna: Bring Down the House—distinguishes itself from typical superhero fare. Martian Manhunter himself has a rather abstract look that was initially designed with Play-Doh to give him a more sculptural, surreal, malleable quality.

This fits perfectly with what Martian Manhunter is meant to be in this new world; from writer Deniz Camp himself, he isn’t even from Mars. Instead, he’s a truly alien, multidimensional being invading the mind of FBI agent John Jones, a man who chooses to refer to this being as a “Martian” as he’s unsure of what else he could be. The story is described from the perspective of the complete outsider’s merging with that of a complete insider as Jones slowly goes mad from the alien inside him.

Absolute Flash Will Be Born Without A Legacy

Jeff Lemire & Nick Robles

Fans got a taste of Absolute Flash during San Diego Comic-Con in July, but its creative team was light on details at the time. With the series now further in development, with a confirmed March release date alongside Absolute Green Lantern and Absolute Martian Manhunter, much more about it was revealed.

The lead of the series will be Wally West, typically the main Flash of the DCU following Barry Allen— but a much younger, teenage iteration than we’re used to. All the main heroes of the Absolute Universe will exist without a key factor that shaped them into the heroes they were destined to be. In Wally’s case? He’ll be without the legacy of the Flash, so he will have no support from superheroic mentor figures like Jay Garrick or Barry Allen. Instead, all there is from previews is what seems to be his father, Rudy West.

Something else Absolute Flash is teasing fans with is the lack of a Speed Force. Wally’s speed will come from himself alone in origins yet to be seen, without any cosmic forces at risk of muddying up the timeline. There does seem to be something potentially unsettling about Wally’s powers, though, with previews showing the teenager in fear of these new abilities. Early antagonists for the series have also been shown in the Absolute Universe’s take on the Rogues— specifically Trickster, Captain Cold, Captain Boomerang, and Golden Glider— who appear to be more militaristic contractors than overt supervillains. Whatever the case with them and Wally West, fans are eager to see the story play out.

Absolute Green Lantern Will Be A Cosmic Horror

Al Ewing & Jahnoy Lindsay

Al Ewing’s pivot to DC has been highly anticipated after his stretch of writing several fantastic runs at Marvel, like Immortal Hulkand X-Men: Red.While his first work for the company was a segment in its 2024 Pride anthology, Ewing’s first proper series will be December’s Metamorpho: The Element Man with Steve Lieber, which will, of course, be followed up with March’s Absolute Green Lantern with artist Jahnoy Lindsay.

Absolute Green Lantern was another series initially announced at San Diego Comic-Con, but only now, given the proper spotlight— and details— it deserves to catch a bit more attention. Jo Mullein was known to be the series’ lead, sporting a new look different from her debut design in Green Lantern: Far Sector. However, other classic Lantern characters such as Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and Guy Gardener have been teased as part of the book’s supporting cast— but the book’s main draw isn’t just its supporting cast.

The complete picture is a bit sparse, but Ewing’s main pitch is that Green Lantern will be a first-contact story, turning the source of power into a source of cosmic horror dropped onto America suddenly. It’s a bold new direction for the mythos that’s due to leave the characters within and plenty of readers asking questions—where did this power come from? How will it be harnessed? What are its intentions?

DC Is Going All In On An Aquaman Push

Jeremy Adams & John Timms

Fans enjoyed each new book or creative team revealed in the first three waves of DC All In’s announcements, but many were asking about the disappearance of a DCU cornerstone from the initiative’s solicitations. Aquaman was a character that hadn’t had any real appearances or news since before the Dawn of DC line about 2 years ago, leading some fans to worry his disappearance was due to the underperformance of the film Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. But readers could rejoice as solicitations revealed the King of Atlantis was returning in full swing come January.

The primary announcement featuring the character was a new ongoing series written by Jeremy Adams. The creative has had a lot on his plate with DC in recent years, from revitalizing Wally West in The Flash to helming the current Green Lantern title, but has been brought in to breathe new life into Aquaman in the wake of the All-In status quo. As a result of some powers being swapped after the defeat of Amanda Waller and her Amazos, Arthur Curry has gained the ability to control water from his wife Queen Mera.

Adams seems to be introducing a new elemental force in the series called “The Blue” as Aquaman learns about his powers, existing alongside forces like The Green and The Red. Dynamic action also seems promised in the book, with John Timms helming art and design for the series— and mythical water-based kaiju as an emerging threat.

Aquaman is also getting a push in other titles aside from his own. Batman: The Brave and the Bold #18 will have Jackson Hyde’s Aquaman and Ms. Martian in a story that will act as a prelude to Aquaman, with Arthur Curry having key roles in Challengers of the Unknown #2 and Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #35.

Ryan Parrott, John Ridley, & Mike Perkins

DC is committing to fleshing out the little corners of the universe during the events of All In, from Black Lightning exploring the upshoot in random civilians gaining powers after Absolute Power to The Question: All Along The Watchtower fleshing out the little details of the new Justice League base. Justice League: The Atom Project is part of this, with the series exploring the fallout of several heroes having their powers swapped randomly.

As the title would suggest, The Atom Project will have several of DC’s most prominent atomic heroes at the forefront. Ray Palmer and Ryan Choi are the book’s leads, putting their scientific know-how to good use to try and set the powers of everyone in DC straight. The incident was an unexpected consequence of the events of Absolute Power, and the task of the Atoms seems straightforward enough.

However, a third party is due to throw a wrench in the plans of the Atoms, being none other than Captain Atom. The hero has been getting a bit of a push with All In, teased as a consistent member of the upcoming Mark Waid and Dan Mora Justice League Unlimited series, and being made the antagonist of Tom King and Jeffrey Spokes’ Jenny Sparks series.

His portrayals in both are wildly different— in one, he’ll be acting as a standard hero, while the latter is painting him as a Doctor Manhattan-esque figure with a lethal god complex— but The Atom Project will be taking him in a completely different direction as someone who lost his powers and will do anything to make sure he doesn’t get them back. This raises more questions than answers regarding chronology, as he looks like he still has his powers in the pages of Justice League Unlimited, but it will surely be addressed in the upcoming series.

Action Comics Is Getting A New Creative Team

John Ridley, Inaki Miranda, & Gleb Melnikov

Action Comics has been experiencing a bumpy ride in recent months since modern titan Phillip Kennedy Johnson left the book. Writers Jason Aaron and Gail Simone did limited arcs on the title, which had to support the House of Brainiac event. Now, it’s in the middle of a twelve-issue arc written by Mark Waid that’s releasing weekly. The title is looking for some stability, and it just might find it come January in a new creative team consisting of John Ridley, Inaki Miranda, and Gleb Melnikov.

Details are sparse about what the run may be about in-depth or how long it will even last. However, solicits paint a picture of Superman spreading hope, starting with the return of the villain Major Disaster. The Man of Steel will have to investigate the formerly reformed villain’s return as Superman and Clark Kent in a potentially promising story by an Oscar-winning writer.

More Specials Will Flesh Out The DCU

Various Creators

Many facets of the DCU are getting attention with All In, and the trend of one-shot specials continues. Annual installments in DC’s Valentine’s Day specials or the DC Power line are set to release, like DC’s Lex and the City #1 and DC Power: Rise of the Power Company #1.The anthologies will allow a wide array of talent to show off their skills, with the latter setting the stage for All In’s status quo and the return of the Power Company.

But Lex Luthor won’t just be the face of a humorous Valentine’s Special. Superman: Lex Luthor Special #1 will address the return of the titular villain’s memories after the House of Brainiac event, something sure to have consequences for the Man of Steel in the future. Green Lantern: Fractured Spectrum will touch on something similar, with the mysterious introduction of “Fractal Lanterns” in the mythos.

A Beloved DC Imprint Will Return

While no new series came with this announcement, it seemed to be universally heralded as a great choice by fans— 2025 will see the return of DC’s Vertigo imprint, something thought dead with its 2020 cancellation and the 2018 DC Black Label Imprint. The initial decision to shut down Vertigo was a controversial one, as DC wanted to move away from relying on imprints, but leadership has shifted since then, and now Vertigo will be returning in the summer of 2025.

The Nice House on the Sea will be rebranded from Black Label to Vertigo as the revived imprint’s first publication, with many more series hopefully on the way. But the return of Vertigo doesn’t mean that Black Label is shutting down. Instead, DC has made it clear there must be a distinction between the two labels.

Black Label will remain the company’s way of giving various creators the creative reins to their superhero IP. Classic characters can still be taken in a wide array of different directions in miniseries. Vertigo will remain the same as it was, primarily creator-owned, focusing on original concepts.