DC has revealed the full character and creator line-up and a few new images for the March 2 kick-off to the new version of the DC Universe the publisher has deemed the Infinite Frontier era.
Infinite Frontier #0 is a 64-page anthology one-shot "setting the stage for new storylines, surprises, and mysteries unfolding over this year and beyond," according to DC.
As recently revealed in our interview with writer Joshua Williamson, he and writers Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV will team on a framing sequence, or what Williamson and Snyder refer to as the one-shot's "spine" story illustrated by John Timms and Alex Sinclair.
Williamson then goes solo to write an epilogue story illustrated by John Romita Jr., Klaus Janson, and Brad Anderson.
In-between will be stories featuring the following characters and their creative teams.
- Justice League by Brian Michael Bendis, David Marquez, and Tamra Bonvillain
- Batman by James Tynion IV, Jorge Jiménez, and Tomeu Morey
- Wonder Woman by Becky Cloonan & Michael W. Conrad, Alitha Martinez & Mark Morales, Emilio Lopez
- Wonder Girl by Joëlle Jones and Jordie Bellaire
- Green Lantern: Alan Scott by James Tynion IV and Stephen Byrne
- Teen Titans Academy by Tim Sheridan, Rafa Sandoval & Jordi Tarragona, and Alejandro Sanchez
- Superman by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Jamal Igle, and Hi-Fi
- Green Arrow & Black Canary by Joshua Williamson, Alex Maleev, and Jordie Bellaire
- Stargirl by Geoff Johns, Todd Nauck, and Hi-Fi
- Green Lanterns by Geoffrey Thorne, Dexter Soy, and Alex Sinclair
- The Flash by Joshua Williamson, Howard Porter, and Hi-Fi
Most of the stories and creators are what you'd expect of a special like this - DC's major properties that are featured in ongoing titles by the title's regular creative teams and in most cases, new creative teams.
The Batman, Justice League, Wonder Woman, Wonder Girl, Teen Titans Academy, Superman, and Green Lanterns stories all follow that formula.
The stories that don't, however, bear watching.
DC already revealed Geoff Johns would be returning to his creation Stargirl in the special's initial announcement and that will almost certainly seed some sort of new title (perhaps digitally) down the road.
A couple of stories by Williamson are interesting.
Green Arrow & Black Canary by Williamson, Alex Maleev, and Jordie Bellaire could just be an additional introduction to Brian Bendis's Justice League, where the couple will serve as members and Ollie as its surprise new leader.
But the couple also starred in a story in the recent Dark Nights: Death Metal special The Last Stories of the DC Universe which seems to seed the prospect of the couple getting married in the foreseeable future.
Interestingly, DC's last special in this vein - 2016's DC Universe: Rebirth - revived their long-time romantic involvement after the 'New 52' reboot put it on the shelf for five years.
Williamson is also making a surprise return to a Flash story with artist Howard Porter, despite the fact writer Jeremy Adams and artist Brandon Peterson are the new regular Flash creative team beginning in March.
This will be Infinite Frontier #0's only deviation from the dynamic of previewing an ongoing series by its regular creative team.
The real wildcard of the special, however, is an Alan Scott: Green Lantern story by Tynion IV and Stephen Byrne, who appears on the cover of Infinite Crisis #0 with his daughter Jade and son Obsidian, the latter of whom also seems to be a player in the upcoming new The Swamp Thing limited series.
Tynion recently revealed the story builds off his Green Lantern 80th Anniversary Special story from 2020.
Alan Scott was reinvented as a contemporary, gay Earth-2 character in the 'New 52' reboot, but Rebirth and the recent Doomsday Clock and Death Metal events have slowly re-established the World War II-era Justice Society of America and some of its members still being active in the present day into mainstream DC canon.
DC would not waste the real estate in an important special like Infinite Frontier #0 on
a throwaway story, so like Stargirl, Green Arrow and Black Canary, and Williamson's Flash story, expect the Alan Scott story to pay dividends relatively soon.
For their part, DC did not respond to inquiries about what follow-up readers can expect from these four stories.
Check out a gallery of the new Infinite Frontier #0 images below.
DC hopes some of these new Infinite Frontier #0 stories seed future additions to Newsarama readers' list of the best DC Comics stories of all time.
