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DC Villains Month Batman Group
DC VILLAINS MONTH Solicitations - ALL 52 in ONE Place
BRAINIAC Re-Enters the New 52 Just in Time for VILLAINS Month
Justice League #22 1st look
TRINITY WAR Part 1/JUSTICE LEAGUE #22 1st Look
Comics
FOREVER EVIL's Villainy: What We Know So Far
by Vaneta Rogers, Newsarma Contributor
Date: 07 June 2013 Time: 05:44 PM ET
DC Villains Month Cover
CREDIT: DC Comics
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Although comic books fans have known for awhile about DC's plans to turn September into Villains Month, this week revealed a few new details about what the event means.

Sure, there are the 52 issues that take over DC's line-up in September and the seven-issue Forever Evil mini-series.

But what causes all this villainy in the DCU? And what does it mean for upcoming stories involving the universe's most beloved characters?

Newsarama pulled together some information we noticed in solicitations and publicity for the event:
Trinity War
[Pin It] Trinity War
CREDIT: DC Comics
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Heroes ... Dead?

DC always promised that the end of Trinity War, would lead to something big.

Now we know it's "big" enough to take out all the heroes of the DCU.

As he told USA Today:

"The Justice League is dead, the villains inherit the Earth."

Wait a minute... dead?

Obviously, DC isn't going to kill Superman and Batman. In the solicitation for Aquaman, the language is more like "may be dead," which we're more prepared to believe.

But something does happen at the end of Trinity War that makes all the heroes disappear before September's titles begin.

Are they sucked through a wormhole? Are they sent forward in time? Or does Pandora's box end their very existence?

The official DC press release used the word "fall," as in "what happens when the heroes of the DC Universe fall and there's nobody left to stop the villains from taking over?" Other words used in recent publicity include "out of commission" and "off the table."

That said, there's indication that some of the Villains Month titles still involve heroes. For example, Darkseid's solicitation says the villain will "confront" the Man of Steel, The Creeper's copy mentions Katana, and Trigon implies that he'll interact with Raven.

There will also be "the unlikely rise of some heroes to combat" the villains during Forever Evil and its tie-ins, which means we'll get a focus on either new or lesser-known heroes for awhile.

"You'll know who the good guys are by issue 2 [of Forever Evil] that are going to take center stage," Johns said.

But make no mistake: September's titles and the Forever Evil event will mean...

Villains Galore

The chance to really examine the darker side of the DCU should be a field day for writers and artists. For example, David Finch allegedly has a "piece of art in Forever Evil #1 that Johns teases 'is the coolest thing I could ever imagine for something that celebrates villainy.'"

There's plenty of space for creators to have fun over the coming months. In total, there are more than 74 issues dedicated to villains, including:

- 52 issues in September as part of "Villains Month."

- The seven-issue Forever Evil by Johns and Finch, which starts in September.

- An arc beginning in October in Justice League, which Johns will continue to write, with "certain villains" and "unlikely heroes."

- Forever Evil tie-ins in "comics such as Teen Titans and Suicide Squad."

- The five-issue tie-in book Forever Evil: Rogues by Brian Buccellato and Patrick Zircher, which starts in October.

- Forever Evil: Arkham War by Peter Tomasi and Scot Eaton, which also starts in October and runs for five issues.

- Another five issues of Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S. by Matt Kindt and an unnamed artist.

And undoubtedly several more that we don't know about yet.