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Ever since DC Comics announced Convergence, a line-wide crossover that will see all of its books go on hiatus for two months, the future of the DC Universe has been a pretty big mystery. What would DC Comics look like after this huge storyline—full of characters spanning every era of DC history—look like? Turns out the answer is “very different.” And it’s pretty exciting.

Beginning June 3, DC will launch 24 new series which will join 25 “fan-favorite” series returning from their two-month Convergence hiatus. According to DC, this isn’t just another wave of new titles, but a bold new mission statement for the company and its characters. The company is striving to make diversity a priority, and aims to emphasize “storytelling over continuity.”

“This heralds in a new era for the DC Universe which will allow us to publish something for everyone, be more expansive and modern in our approach and tell stories that better reflect the society around us,” said DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Dan DiDio in a press release. “Whether you’ve been a DC fan your whole life, or whether you are new to comics—there will be a book for you beginning in June.”

It’s a complete 180 from 2011’s New 52 initiative, which reset the entire DC Universe with the ostensible purpose of making its comics more accessible to new readers—when in fact, it ended up homogenizing most titles, barring a few notable, excellent exceptions like Wonder Woman and Batman.

Speaking of The New 52—you won’t be seeing that phrase atop DC’s comics anymore. The rebooted universe isn’t going away, however—which is a good thing, given that there’s been a pretty remarkable uptick in quality in the company’s output over the past few months. From the press release:

DC Comics will be keenly focused on going back-to-basics with its legendary characters, like BATMAN, SUPERMAN and WONDER WOMAN, while also reinventing key characters, such as BLACK CANARY, BIZARRO, CYBORG and STARFIRE, with a new contemporary tonality to ensure a diverse offering of titles. Top writers and artists, as well as emerging fresh voices, are on board to help create an expansive lineup of comics that appeals to a broad audience of fans.

Some genuinely exciting creative teams will be taking the lead on these books: Boxers and Saints writer Gene Luen Yang is joining John Romita Jr. on Superman. Brenden Fletcher (of Batgirl and Gotham Academy fame) and Annie Wu (Hawkeye) are starting a new Black Canary series. David Walker (whose Shaft series you should be reading) is launching Cyborg with Ivan Reis.

Image zoom Annie Wu

DC willl be giving readers a sneak peek at upcoming storylines in its Free Comic Book Day special issue, DC Comics: Divergence.

There really are a ton of interesting books announced, so check out the full list as published on DC’s website:

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