52 pickup: Looking at the task ahead

DC Comics' 52 publicity juggernaut charges forward with an article in today's New York Daily News.

The coverage, in Ethan Sacks' "Unmasked" column, focuses on the seemingly herculean task of planning and producing a year-long, weekly comic series:

As if the year-long weekly deadline pressure wasn't enough, the series does not include the aforementioned big three of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, who are missing in action. Instead, the six lead characters of 52 are DC B-listers like Booster Gold, who uses his super powers to hawk advertisers' products, Steel, a character made famous by a movie starring Shaquille O'Neal, and Renee Montoya, a disgraced ex-cop from Batman's hometown of Gotham.

"The lack of major heroes...makes it unique," said Arune Singh, a writer at the industry news website, Comic Book Resources, told the News. "This series will live or die on both the quality of work and interest in the lead characters."

But here's the most interesting tidbit: "Paranoid over any distractions that could slow the creators' momentum, DC Comics refuses mainstream press interview requests for any of the writers."

The first issue of 52 hits comics shops today.