Looking Forward to 2016

2015 was great for a DC Comics fan like myself. The TV side of things continued going strong with The Flash, Arrow, and Gotham, plus iZombie and the launch of Supergirl. We got two good Justice League books in 2015 and I liked the DCYou launch, with Superman's "Truth" arcs actually turning out better than I expected, and some great new books, especially Martian Manhunter and The Omega Men. There weren't any live action DC movies released by Warner Brothers, but there was a lot to dig into as we prepare for Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad, and Wonder Woman. So I'm confident that 2016 is going to be even better!

Here are the Top 5 things I am looking forward to in 2016 as a DC Comics fan.

5. The Flash wrapping up its Season 2 arc. The Flash on CW has been a consistently good comic-book series, and they did a nice job in Season 1 building toward a finale with the Harrison Wells / Reverse Flash storyline. They've started things off very well in Season 2 with the multiverse and Zoom. I am looking forward to see how they continue this in the rest of Season 2 and I think they can have another strong climax at the end of the season. I also appreciate that they have found their stride with the supporting characters such as Iris and now Caitlin.

4. Issue 50s in the comic books. The New 52 relaunch in 2011 meant even DC's major comic book titles restarted with issue 1s, and now we get to see issue 50s hit the stands in Spring 2016. I'm especially looking forward to Bruce Wayne possibly returning as Batman in Batman 50 and Superman regaining his powers in Superman 50 (although I wish someone other than John Romita Jr was doing the cover). Justice League 50 may also be a climactic issue in the Darkseid War.

3. Supergirl getting picked up for a 2nd Season. The Supergirl series on CBS has gotten off to a strong start with a lot of heart (it's action scenes, I think, are the only thing holding it back) and it has maintained ratings in the neighborhood of 8 Million viewers. This was enough to allow it to get expanded to a full Season 1 order, but I really like the characters and I think they have a great deal more terrain they could cover, so I am really hoping that CBS picks them up for a second season.

2. Suicide Squad (August 5, 2016). David Ayer is a very good, gritty filmmaker and he and Warner Brothers have brought together an impressive cast for this ensemble movie. I am very excited for this movie because I think it will come from a different angle that will help the comic book movie genre stay fresh. I though the Comic-Con trailer was great, I think it's promising to see the camaraderie of the case, and I'm really looking forward to seeing the new take on the Joker (plus Harley!).

1. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (March 25, 2016). This movie is not only my most highly anticipated comic-book related event of 2016, it is my most highly anticipated movie ever. I'm looking forward to it for three major reasons: (A) I loved Man of Steel and can't wait to see how they continue Clark/Superman's development. (B) I got to visit the set in Detroit and was lucky enough to catch the first image of Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne and also a SPOILER scene with Bruce saving a little girl during the Black Zero Event. And (C) based on what I've seen thus far and heard from the creators, I think BvS is going to be not only visually stunning but also multi-layered, nuanced performances that capture tensions between the characters and explore broader themes that are relevant to society, much like its predecessor, MoS.

Apropos, I predict that BvS will make more than $1 Billion worldwide and its Metacritic rating will be above 7.5. There will still be some backlash, but most people will be on board with the movie and with the universe-building. (Here are my full predictions for CBMs in 2016.)