Who created the comic book storyline Forever Evil?

"Forever Evil" is a 2013–2014 crossover comic book storyline published by DC Comics that began in September 2013 and ended in May 2014, consisting of an eponymous, central miniseries written by Geoff Johns and art by David Finch. It is the first line wide crossover since The New 52 reboot of the DC Universe, and focuses on all the villains of the DC Universe. The miniseries spins out of the events in "Trinity War". Johns revealed in August 2013, that the Crime Syndicate, an evil version of the Justice League from Earth-3 in the Multiverse, are the true villains of the event and not the previously thought Secret Society. The event was originally scheduled to end in March with "Forever Evil" #7, yet ended in May 2014, after the final issue got delayed to April, and eventually again to May. The final issue's delay was due to Johns realizing he needed more pages to conclude the story than originally intended.

Forever Evil

With the three Justice League teams—the Justice League, Justice League of America, and Justice League Dark—"dead," the Crime Syndicate come from Earth-3 to take over this world, where they recruit villains to their cause. Earth-0 villains that resist the Crime Syndicate follow Lex Luthor to form the Injustice League to take down the Crime Syndicate.

In the final issue of the "Trinity War" event, the leader of the Secret Society, revealed to be Alfred Pennyworth of Earth-3, uses Pandora's Box to open a gateway from Earth-0 to Earth-3, which allows Ultraman, Superwoman, Owlman, Johnny Quick, Power Ring, and Deathstorm to arrive, while their teammate Sea King does not survive the trip. In addition, Superwoman brings a hooded prisoner through the gateway with them. Atomica is revealed to be the mole in the Leagues and is actually Atomica from Earth-3. A sentient computer virus named Grid separates Cyborg's prosthetics from Victor's body. The Crime Syndicate attack the three Justice Leagues and claim Earth-0 now belongs to them.

Cheetah is locked in Belle Reve at the end of "Justice League" #14, and communicates with an unknown person telling them she has been locked up and will wait for Black Manta, while in "Constantine" #4, Zatanna mentions premonitions of an upcoming war between superheroes triggered by a death, and John Constantine shaking hands with Lex Luthor.

Lex Luthor meets with Thomas Kord, in a bid to buy Kord Industries, when his helicopter loses power and falls from the sky. Getting up from the wreckage, he witnesses Ultraman entering a LexCorp building looking for Kryptonite. Ultraman requests Grid to find other locations of it, while Grid cuts power to all major cities, and orchestrates the release of all prisoners from the world's superhuman prisons. Returning to Gotham City from Chicago, Nightwing is kidnapped by Superwoman and Owlman. In Central City, the Rogues attempt to break into Iron Heights Penitentiary to free Trickster, only to be interrupted by Johnny Quick, who succeeds in freeing all the inmates, while Deathstorm and Power Ring infiltrate Belle Reve. Scarecrow tries to recruit multiple Batman rogues to the Secret Society, and they, along with many other villains, accept and gather at the Justice League's fallen Watchtower. There, the Crime Syndicate present Aquaman's trident, Wonder Woman's lasso and Superman's cape as proof that the Justice League is dead. During the Crime Syndicate's broadcast to the world, Superwoman reveals to the world that Nightwing is Dick Grayson. After the villains disperse, Ultraman is affected by the rising sun, and moves the moon in front of it to create a solar eclipse.

Luthor goes to the bowels of LexCorp to release Subject B-0̸, an incomplete attempt to clone a Kryptonian body. At the Justice League Watchtower, Grid informs Ultraman that there is an uprising in Kahndaq requiring his attention and that the Rogues refuse to join the Crime Syndicate. Ultraman tells Grid to send Deathstorm and Power Ring to take care of the Rogues, and before leaving, checks in on the prisoner they brought with them from Earth-3. Owlman and Superwoman believe he should be killed, but Ultraman refuses, claiming that they might need him. Owlman asks that Grayson stay alive, but Ultraman and The Outsider disagree, knowing he is not the Dick Grayson they knew from Earth-3. After Ultraman leaves, Superwoman, who is having an affair with Owlman, reveals to him that she is pregnant with his child, and the two make plans to have Owlman overthrow Ultraman and take control of the Crime Syndicate. The Teen Titans arrive at the Justice League Watchtower to attack the Crime Syndicate, only to be greeted by Johnny Quick and Atomica. Johnny Quick uses his powers on Kid Flash, creating a hole in time that traps the Teen Titans. Elsewhere at S.T.A.R. Labs, Dr. Silas Stone and Dr. Thomas Morrow remain in the Red Room to protect its technology and research. Batman and Catwoman appear with the critically injured Cyborg, the only ones to survive the Syndicate's initial attack. Batman explains that, after the Crime Syndicate arrived, Deathstorm attacked Firestorm, exposing the matrix that binds Ronnie Raymond and Jason Rusch, imprisoning everyone except Batman, Catwoman and Cyborg inside the matrix. While Dr. Stone and Dr. Morrow prepare to stabilize Cyborg, Batman learns of Nightwing's unmasking, and leaves to find him. Elsewhere, Luthor connects to one of his personal satellites to locate the Crime Syndicate. He locates Ultraman and notes that he is avoiding direct sunlight. In Central City, Deathstorm and Power Ring confront the Rogues for failing to level the rest of the city. Since the Rogues stand their ground, Power Ring attacks before Captain Cold freezes his hand. Deathstorm attacks Captain Cold and is able to extract his freezing powers from his DNA. Mirror Master attempts to get the Rogues out through the Mirror World, but Power Ring destroys the mirror causing the Rogues to be separated. Captain Cold ends up at Luthor and Bizarro's location, where they are joined by Black Manta, who has retrieved Black Adam from the ocean after his defeat by Ultraman.

Batman brings Catwoman to the Batcave, where he shows her his contingency plans to take down each member of the Justice League, hoping each will work on their Earth-3 counterparts. Meanwhile, Luthor attempts to revive Black Adam, while Captain Cold attempts to construct another cold-gun. Luthor takes his group through the sewers and breaks into Wayne Enterprises, only to find Batman and Catwoman. Elsewhere, Superwoman finds Ultraman taking Metallo's Kryptonite, and tells him she is pregnant with his child, and that Owlman is planning to overthrow Ultraman and take control of the Crime Syndicate. In Central City, Ultraman requests Deathstorm to figure out Firestorm's ability to transmute elements so he can create Kryptonite, and sends Power Ring after Captain Cold. Power Ring, scared to go alone, asks Grid for help, who sends him Society members to aid him. Back at Wayne Enterprises, Power Ring arrives and begins attacking Batman and Luthor. Batman decides to use his contingency plan to take down Green Lantern, and puts on a Sinestro Corps power ring. Power Ring's constructs are able to remove the ring from Batman and destroy it, inadvertently drawing Sinestro's attention to him. Sinestro follows Power Ring through the sewers, eventually severing his right arm, allowing his ring to search for a new host. Relieved to be free, Power Ring dies thanking Sinestro. Luthor, his team, Batman and Catwoman are able to subdue most of the Society members, while convincing Deathstroke to join their side. Ultraman and Superwoman go to the Batcave to steal Batman's Kryptonite ring, only to find it missing. Grid contacts them to inform them of Power Ring's death, adding that his ring released a pulse of energy sensed across the multiverse. Ultraman, knowing the creature that destroyed their world has found them, orders the Syndicate to regroup and heads to Maine with them.

Batman, Luthor and their team arrive at the fallen Watchtower in search of Grayson and the Crime Syndicate. Grid informs the Outsider of the intrusion, and he goes to protect their hooded prisoner, only for Black Manta to intercept him and kill him. Batman, Luthor, Catwoman, and B-0, who now calls himself, "Bizarro", enter the room with Grayson and see he has been placed in a "Murder Machine", originally intended for Doomsday. They realize the machine is a detonator for a bomb that can only be stopped if Grayson's heart stops. The remaining members of the Crime Syndicate (which by now consists of Ultraman, Owlman, Superwoman, Johnny Quick, Grid, Deathstorm, and Atomica) return to the Watchtower and attack Sinestro, Deathstroke and Black Adam. Johnny Quick and Atomica attack Captain Cold and Black Manta, who have unmasked the prisoner and removed the tape from his mouth. Captain Cold freezes Johnny Quick's leg and then breaks it off. Back with Grayson, Luthor prevents Batman from saving Grayson, choosing to save the groups' lives over Grayson's. As Grayson dies, Batman attacks Luthor for murdering him, with Luthor trying to reason with him that he has everything under control. The hooded prisoner is revealed as Alexander Luthor. When he shouts "Mazahs!", Alexander transforms himself into the evil Mazahs and kills the injured Johnny Quick, taking his power.

Lex Luthor is able to revive Grayson, having only momentarily stopped his heart to disable the machine, as Cyborg joins the heroes, having destroyed Grid. Cyborg gives Batman Wonder Woman's lasso, and he is able to release the trapped heroes within Firestorm. Superwoman reveals that the father of her child is actually Alexander Luthor, that she's actually loyal to Mazahs, and she's secretly been planning to overthrow both Ultraman and Owlman and have Mazahs take control of the Crime Syndicate. Mazahs kills both Deathstorm and Bizarro, and immobilizes Luthor. Realizing he sounds just like Mazahs, Luthor is able to use the magic word to summon the dark lightning, which transforms Mazahs back into Alexander Luthor. Luthor fatally stabs and kills Alexander before he can transform back into Mazahs. Ultraman attacks Luthor, but Black Adam and Sinestro move the moon, stopping the eclipse and rendering Ultraman powerless with sunlight. Atomica reappears from underneath rubble, only for Luthor to kill her by stepping on her. Luthor rejoins the heroes and saves Superman by removing the Kryptonite placed in his brain by Atomica. In the aftermath, Luthor meets with Ted Kord to tell him he has decided to not buy Kord Industries, Ultraman and Superwoman have both been captured, with Owlman still on the loose, and Luthor begins the process to create a clone of Bizarro, while also deducing that Bruce Wayne is Batman. Never learning from the Crime Syndicate who the entity was that destroyed their world, Superman believes that Darkseid has returned, only for it to be seen elsewhere, that it is the Anti-Monitor who has been going around consuming universes, in order to attack Darkseid.

Col. Steve Trevor awakes at the remains of the A.R.G.U.S. headquarters in Washington, D.C and learns from his secretary, Etta Candy, that the headquarters' destruction was caused by a massive spike in energy around Dr. Light's body and that A.R.G.U.S. and its agents have been completely exposed. After seeing the Crime Syndicate's broadcast, Trevor learns that the President is in danger, who has a back up key that would assist in A.R.G.U.S. gaining their assets back, and goes to the White House, where he encounters Shadow Thief, Deathstroke and Copperhead. Trevor is able to reach the President and escape the Secret Society's attack, returning to A.R.G.U.S.' headquarters with him. Trevor uses the President's key to open the Green Room, to keep the President and Candy safe, and heads to the Wonder Room, which he has filled with mementos of his past relationship with Wonder Woman. There, he finds the Delphi mirror and the Morai that reside within it, and strikes a deal with them to locate the missing Justice League members. After trading his memories of his time with Wonder Woman, the Morai teleport Trevor to Dr. Martin Stein's cabin, where Killer Frost has arrived. Both reveal they need Dr. Stein's help to find and help Firestorm, as Stein created the protocols that make the Firestorm fusion possible. Stein reveals that the matrix, if not found, will get overloaded and explode, causing a second big bang. Elsewhere within the Green Room, Candy begins investigating about the founding of A.R.G.U.S., and Dr. Light appears in Los Angeles and is found by people known as the Crimson Men. Secret Society members try to get in contact with Killer Frost, and use their communication coins to find her location at Dr. Stein's cabin. Dr. Stein takes Trevor and Killer Frost to his secret, off the grid, basement, where he uses his teleportation devices to transport them to A.R.G.U.S.' Detroit station, known as "The Circus". Inside, they encounter fellow A.R.G.U.S. agents, who allow Trevor to talk to one of their prisoners, Psi, in hopes of seeing if she could psychologically disrupt the Firestorm matrix to free the Justice League. When Psi touches him however, Trevor realizes that he needs Wonder Woman's lasso of truth, which is in the possession of the Cheetah. In the Green Room, the President and "Mr. Green" discuss a promotion with Candy. Killer Frost, who is weakening due to Firestorm's disappearance, helps Trevor locate the Cheetah; however, they are attacked by her menagerie and captured. Cheetah uses the lasso on Trevor, only for Trevor to gain control, noting how the lasso will choose to be controlled by the purer heart. Elsewhere, the Crimson Men take Dr. Light to their secret location, and promise to make him human again, in exchange for information on Trevor. Dr. Light heads to Trevor's location following Cheetah's defeat to kill him. Trevor and Killer Frost fight Dr. Light, with Trevor using the lasso on him, to force him to teleport away. Martian Manhunter contacts Trevor to have him come help save the Justice League. Elsewhere, in the Green Room, "Mr. Green" reveals the history of A.R.G.U.S., and reveals to be a member of the Crimson Men, looking to reshape A.R.G.U.S. through Trevor and Candy.

With the heroes gone, Penguin becomes mayor of Gotham City, and divides the city up to different Arkham inmates. Scarecrow, hoping to control Gotham, goes to see Mr. Freeze, The Riddler, Killer Croc and Poison Ivy to let them know that a war with Blackgate Prison is coming and to gain their support. Through his conversations with each, Scarecrow learns that Bane may be the cause of the Blackgate uprising, and will be their leader in the impending war, hoping to use the Talons that were stored at Blackgate on ice. Bane, having escaped Peña Dura Prison in Santa Prisca, travels to Gotham hoping to control it as well, and orchestrates the release of Blackgate's prisoners during the Crime Syndicate's broadcast to the world. Bane enters Blackgate to join the prisoners there, where he comes across where the Talons are stored, hoping to make them in to his weapons. Scarecrow approaches Professor Pyg and Penguin to see if they will support him. Penguin has already planned for the impending war, by blowing up the bridges giving access to Gotham City. The attack on the city begins, with Bane's men attacking the Gotham City Police Department. Scarecrow and Man-Bat attempt to steal the frozen Talons from Blackgate while Penguin is having a meeting with Bane, though Bane arrives at Blackgate as the Man-Bats are attempting to transport the Talons to Mr. Freeze, able to keep one from leaving. The Man-Bats are able to bring the remaining Talons to Mr. Freeze, while Bane retrieves Emperor Penguin for the Penguin as part of their agreement. When he brings him to the Penguin, the Penguin tells him that the Arkham fighters are not scared of Bane, as he does not instill fear as Batman did. Realizing this, Bane constructs a batsuit for himself and sets his sights on retrieving the Talons. Bane wakes up the Talon William Cobb and takes him through Gotham where he fights members of Arkham Asylum. Bane begins recruiting Gotham citizens to his side, offering his base at Wayne Tower as a haven to the people to escape the rule of the Arkham inmates. He tells Cobb his plan to turn the city over to the Court, in exchange for use of Talons at his disposal to be powered by his Venom. Elsewhere, Scarecrow begins waking the Talons in his possession, having doused them with his fear gas and using Mad Hatter's mind-control technology in their helmets to control them. The Talons attack Bane's men, and eventually set their target on Bane. Bane, with the help of Cobb, is able to injure the Talons enough to activate their regenerative powers to remove the mind-control technology. At Arkham Asylum, Scarecrow senses he has lost the Talons and turns to his next plan, giving the other Arkhamites a small dose of Bane's Venom to temporarily transform them. The Venom-induced Arkham villains attack Bane and the Talons at Blackgate. They bring Bane back to Arkham Asylum, where Bane begins to defeat them as their Venom wears off. Penguin arrives to congratulate Bane, and offers to exchange his help for the Arkhamites. Bane takes the offer, keeping Scarecrow however, to hang between two buildings and declares that Gotham City is finally his. Following the defeat of the Crime Syndicate, Batman eventually returns to Gotham, delivers Scarecrow to the Gotham City Police Department, and is able to defeat Bane and his Talons. With Bane locked up in Arkham Asylum under heavy guard, Bruce Wayne and Commissioner Gordon work to rebuild Gotham City.

After freeing the Trickster and attending the meeting at the Justice League Watchtower, the Rogues return to Central and Keystone City, only to see that both have been destroyed by Gorilla Grodd, who has proceeded to take control of Central City as its king and renames it Gorilla City. Captain Cold asks Mirror Master to help him get to the hospital where his sister Golden Glider is being held, in order to check on her. While there, the Crime Syndicate send Secret Society members to finish Grodd's work and destroy the hospital. The Rogues are able to hold them off, only to be interrupted by Deathstorm and Power Ring, who were sent by Ultraman to deal with the Rogues for resisting the Crime Syndicate's offer to join them. After battling Deathstorm and Power Ring, Captain Cold is separated from the other Rogues. The Rogues, now led by Mirror Master, land in Metropolis and are confronted by Archer. Trickster is able to quickly stop him, as Parasite arrives, because the Crime Syndicate has put a bounty on the Rogues' head. Unable to stop him, Mirror Master brings the Rogues into the mirror world to escape only to end up being caught by Poison Ivy in her district in Gotham City. Poison Ivy poisons Trickster to force Weather Wizard to move the eclipse to let her plants get sunlight. Weather Wizard says he cannot, but Mirror Master says he can help if he can rebuild his mirror gun. After getting the parts and entering the mirror world, Mirror Master is able to get sunlight back to Poison Ivy's plants. However, the vine holding him begins to break, forcing Trickster to go in after him, stopping the sunlight from coming through. The sunlight draws Man-Bats to the Rogues' location, who takes Weather Wizard and forces the others into Mr. Freeze and Clayface's territory. Mr. Freeze tells Mirror Master he is not interested in capitalizing on the bounty on their head, only to use Weather Wizard to create optimal conditions for him to freeze Gotham. As the Rogues are fighting the two, Black Mask arrives to capture the Rogues to receive the bounty. To escape, Trickster arrives with an Arkham van, having been separated from the others. Still being chased, Heat Wave sacrifices himself to allow the other Rogues to escape. However, they are stopped by the Royal Flush Gang. As the Gang transports the Rogues, Weather Wizard is able to free them, only for Mirror Master to blame him for killing Golden Glider. Choosing to leave, Mirror Master and Trickster go to the Royal Flush Gang's hideout alone to surrender. However, they use Mirror Master's constructs to distract them, while Trickster is able to rescue Golden Glider and bring her to the safety of the Pied Piper. Heading back to help Mirror Master, Trickster is greeted by Johnny Quick and Atomica. The duo nearly defeat Mirror Master and Trickster before Weather Wizard returns. The Royal Flush Gang are able to shoot Weather Wizard, as Grid teleports away Johnny Quick and Atomica, and sends Secret Society members and Grodd in their place. Pied Piper leaves protecting Golden Glider to join the Rogues in the fight against Grodd and the Society members. Seemingly defeated, the Rogues are joined by Golden Glider, who has woken up, due to the Pied Piper's music. Together, they are able to trap Grodd and the Society members in the mirror world, allowing Central City to begin the rebuilding process.

John Constantine, Swamp Thing, Nightmare Nurse, Pandora and the Phantom Stranger attempt to defeat Blight, who is the manifestation of evil itself, and rescue the missing members of the three Justice League teams.

Revolutionaries in Kahndaq use an ancient scroll to attempt to revive Black Adam so he will be their champion once again to save them from their oppressive ruler. A man named Amon begins to read the ancient spell, but before he can complete it, the military attacks them. An injured Amon makes his sister Adrianna complete the spell which revives Black Adam. He proceeds to defeat the military forces and kills the Kahndaqi ruler, acting as Kahndaq's ruler again. On his way to deal with the situation in Kahndaq, Ultraman makes a detour to stop at the "Daily Planet". There, Ultraman begins to interrogate Jimmy Olsen, thinking him to be similar to his Earth-3 counterpart. Noticing Lois Lane Ultraman comments how she shares the same name as Superwoman, but is not her physical equal. Meanwhile, Jimmy's watch sends out a distress signal, which is heard by Black Adam, who arrives at the "Daily Planet" and engages in battle with Ultraman. 30 years ago on Earth-3, it is shown how Alfred and Thomas Wayne Jr. killed his parents and Bruce. It is also shown how Thomas Wayne Jr. killed Dick Grayson's parents, taking him in so he would emotionally bond with him. Back in the present on Earth-0, Owlman breaks up a meeting of mob families in Chicago, taking control of them. Back at the Watchtower, Owlman goes to talk to Nightwing, telling him that he does not want what the rest of the Crime Syndicate wants. Able to break free, Nightwing attacks Owlman, before reluctantly agreeing to help him stop the Crime Syndicate. Grid continues to examine case files for the Crime Syndicate members attempting to learn how to feel, and sees Power Ring, Johnny Quick, Atomica and Deathstorm's histories of how they gained their powers. However, he is unable to view Superwoman's, as her file has been deleted, to which he states, that if he had feelings, it would now be suspicion. Meanwhile, at S.T.A.R. Labs, Dr. Stone is able to stabilize Victor, who begins to wake up. Victor asks his dad to make him Cyborg again, this time having it be his choice. Victor asks to go into the real Red Room so he can request which technology and equipment he would like in his new armor. Having been rebuilt, Cyborg sets out to find Will Magnus to learn more about his "Metal Men" project. Meeting with Magnus, Cyborg learns that he cannot help him. Magnus tells him the history of the Metal Men project and how they were destroyed protecting Magnus and the population. Seeing their responsometers that control them in Magnus' lab, Cyborg senses that their minds and hearts are still active, encouraging Magnus to activate them once more to help him. With the Metal Men reactivated, Cyborg informs them of Grid as they head to Happy Harbor to take on the Crime Syndicate. Cyborg lures Grid out and the Metal Men begin attacking him. Grid brings Society members to help, as Grid enters Cyborg's new body. Cyborg is able to trap Grid in his body, as the Metal Men defeat the Society members. The group is joined by Steve Trevor and Killer Frost as more Society members show up, with Cyborg taking Wonder Woman's lasso to go save the Justice League.

Martian Manhunter and Stargirl awaken in the outer part of the Firestorm matrix, where they encounter someone who appears to be Jason Rusch, half of the duo that is Firestorm. Jason proceeds to inform them that he believes they are in a prison constructed by the Crime Syndicate, and offers to bring Martian Manhunter through the inner parts. There, Martian Manhunter realizes that the "prison" seems to react to each of its inmates, creating a different experience for each. He sees the different prisons of Wonder Woman, Shazam, The Flash, Superman and Green Lantern. After losing Jason and realizing he is being pursued by an unknown person, J'onn is contacted by Stargirl, who stayed behind. She tells him she found a way out, and steps into the Crime Syndicate-led world. Losing connection to Martian Manhunter, Stargirl goes after him through the matrix. She passes through the previous prisons J'onn did, but sees glimpses of her past in each. She eventually finds him battling a version of himself crafted by the matrix. It is stated that the prison has no effect on Stargirl due to her youth. As such, she is able to escape the prison, and takes J'onn with her. Once out of the prison, Stargirl comes across members of the Secret Society. Stargirl realizes that by escaping the prison, Manhunter's conscious has merged with her. While she is fighting the Society members, she also is fighting Manhunter from entering her mind and memories. Manhunter is able to control Stargirl temporarily to fight off the Society, and Stargirl is able to focus long enough to escape. Finding a quiet spot, Manhunter attempts to locate the prison, only to trigger a memory of Stargirl's that makes her realize she needs to go help her family. Stargirl, wanting Manhunter out of her mind, is able to separate herself from him, and heads off to find her family. Manhunter, realizing the prison has weakened his abilities, is able to locate it and realizes that the prison is Firestorm, who is on the verge of detonating. Stargirl and Manhunter agree to travel together to find Firestorm or Stargirl's parents, whichever comes first. Eventually, they are stopped and attacked by Despero. Despero is able to defeat Manhunter with Stargirl arriving too late to help him. Manhunter tells her to continue to stop Firestorm from detonating, as he begins to die. Stargirl heads to Los Angeles and meets up with her family, only to be attacked by Despero. Stargirl is able to hold off Despero and she is able to get to Firestorm before he detonates. She gets inside his mind and sees Ronnie and Jason arguing, which she realizes is the cause of the impending detonation. Stargirl is able to stop them from arguing and contacts the trapped heroes, who are able to free themselves from the matrix. They proceed to attack Despero, while Stargirl suddenly awakes back in the prison. She sees Martian Manhunter and he tells her that they never left the prison, that Despero was manipulating each hero's prison from the outside. Stargirl was the only one able to break free of her prison, which gave Manhunter the opportunity to contact Steve Trevor on the outside, to learn that they needed to find Wonder Woman.

Following the prison break at Belle Reve, Amanda Waller contacts Deadshot and asks him to get the Suicide Squad back together, and he is able to recruit Harley Quinn back to the team. Waller gets to a secret area in Belle Reve, where she instructs Deadshot and Harley to go to the Rocky Mountains to intercept a weapon. Before doing so, Deadshot and Harley recruit Captain Boomerang back to the team. Back at Belle Reve, James Gordon Jr. learns that the Thinker is building a satellite to control something, while it is shown that the Thinker, disguised as Waller, has recruited Warrant, Steel and Unknown Soldier, under the guise of "new" Suicide Squad recruits, to also head to the Rockies to retrieve the weapon. In the Rockies, Power Girl arrives to assist the new recruits, where they learn the weapon is actually O.M.A.C. Deadshot, Harley and Captain Boomerang have also arrived, and the new recruits get instructions from "Waller" to kill the reformed team, while the actual Waller is attempting to contact Deadshot to not bring O.M.A.C. back to Belle Reve. The two teams fight until Unknown Soldier realizes that his team was approached by the Thinker, and were tricked. Meanwhile, Harley takes O.M.A.C. and activates him, causing him to fire a laser on the mountain, which collapses on the two teams inside it. At Belle Reve, Gordon finds Waller who proceeds to bring him to a secret sublevel in the prison, where she reveals "Project Y", who is Kamo, King Shark's father. King Shark begins to attack Kamo, until Waller is able to lie to both to get them to help her defeat O.M.A.C. once he arrives. Harley arrives at Belle Reve and drops O.M.A.C. near Gordon, who confronts her and learns that she betrayed the team in the Rockies, and that the Thinker is planning to use O.M.A.C. While Gordon is talking to Harley, the Thinker takes O.M.A.C. and begins transferring his mind to it. Now activated, O.M.A.C. proceeds to attack Belle Reve. Back in the Rockies, Power Girl is able to lift the fallen mountain, allowing the two teams to get free. They split up to find a way out of the mountain and while searching, Warrant falls into running water, and is swept away when Deadshot fails to help him; the teams are able to make it out. At Belle Reve, O.M.A.C. fights King Shark and Kamo, while Waller attempts to activate Belle Reve's fail safe through the Thinker's computer. Before she is able to do so, Kevin Kho reaches out to her, telling her he is trapped within O.M.A.C. As Waller works with Kho, the team returns from the mountains, only to be dragged into the fight with O.M.A.C. Having killed Kamo, O.M.A.C. is able to defeat Power Girl, Steel, Unknown Soldier and King Shark, and heads further into Belle Reve. Deadshot and Harley find "magic bullets" that will allow them to gain temporary super human powers. Deadshot fires them into Harley, Waller, himself and Unknown Soldier and the Squad begins to attack O.M.A.C. Kho is able to regain control of O.M.A.C. before Waller has to enact her last resort. But without knowing, Captain Boomerang knocks O.M.A.C. into a portal sending him to another dimension. Waller later tells the Squad that the "magic bullet" was actually a strand of a nano-bomb and they are once again tagged as with the explosive collars.In October 2013, three, six-issue main tie-in books launched:In addition, several of DC's ongoing comic series tie into "Forever Evil" starting in October 2013. These titles are:

"Teen Titans" #24-25 were originally solicited as tie-ins to the event, but upon their release, did not tie in, instead focusing on the Titans' individual travels through the time stream, as a result of the events in "Forever Evil" #2. "Justice League" #30, "Justice League of America" #14, and "Suicide Squad" #30, while not part of the official event, all featured the "Forever Evil" banner on their covers, and dealt with the aftermath of the event.

For the month of September, in conjunction with "Forever Evil", approximately one third of the ongoing titles at the time published multiple "Villains Month" issues, while the rest skipped publication. All titles used the "point" system, replacing the current number system, which resumed in October 2013. Titles were known by both their normal publication title, as well as their "Villains Month" title. Each book features 3D lenticular motion covers on the front and back of the title. DC also released 2D versions of the covers as well. As the 3D covers had to be printed months in advance than normal, neither the 3D or the 2D covers featured creator credits. This drew criticism from Yanick Paquette, who later clarified his complaints, saying he was unaware of the additional production needed for the covers and understood this was a decision DC was forced to make, in order to get the covers out on time.

The DC villains that received their own titles and were a part of "Forever Evil" brought comparison to the Legion of Doom, because many of the villains are members of the different incarnations of the Legion of Doom. Many of the titles explore the background of the titular villain, with some being a straight one-shot, and others tying into "Forever Evil".

Dan DiDio stated that all story lines with all the heroes would be published through August 2013. "Forever Evil" began in September and would continue to March 2014, at which point the rest of the universe catches up to the events seen in "Forever Evil". DiDio added that there would be major shake ups with the teams, such as the Justice League, Suicide Squad, and Teen Titans, and that "nobody is safe." Geoff Johns stated that "Trinity War" and "Forever Evil" are the conclusion to the first phase of story arcs within The New 52. Johns added that this event would change the status quo of the DCU in a major way saying, “There are some major events that happen to some of our heroes and villains, and those are all reflected in the monthly books at the end of [the series], except for the ones that tie-in directly like the [three] Justice League titles, "Suicide Squad", and "Teen Titans". Those books will be up-to-speed monthly." The announcement of "Forever Evil: Blight" promised changes to the status quo for the titles involved, with each having major changes.

In August 2013, it was announced that at the conclusion of "Forever Evil", the Justice League of America "goes through a dramatic change" and relocate to Canada and recruit a Canadian superhero, who is Cree. The "Justice League of America" series would thus be retitled "Justice League Canada". However, in January 2014, it was announced that the "Justice League of America" series would no longer be retitled, instead being cancelled and relaunching as "Justice League United". Additionally, "Nightwing", "Suicide Squad" and "Teen Titans" were cancelled as well in April 2014. However, "Justice League of America", "Nightwing", and "Suicide Squad"s final issues were pushed back to May 2014.

Jesse Schedeen of IGN gave the first issue an 8.0 out of 10, saying "Regardless of your thoughts on "Trinity War", "Forever Evil" #1 is a solid start to DC's first real event comic of the New 52. It sees [Geoff] Johns diving headlong into a realm that he's succeeded in so often in the past." Schedeen wished that the Crime Syndicate had been featured more "to establish what makes this new take on the Crime Syndicate unique and why they're a greater threat now than they were the many times the Justice League clashed with them in decades past." Newsarama's Richard Gray was more critical, giving the issue a 7 out of 10. Gray felt that Johns trod a very thin line of overloading the story with too many villains and felt it was "immediately evident that reading this book in isolation of what has come before is almost impossible." He concluded that this event "has a familiar feeling to it, and it’s almost like starting over after coming so close to something that felt like a conclusion to two years worth of questions." Meagan Demore of Comic Book Resources gave the issue 3.5 stars out of 5, saying, "In its chilling first issue, "Forever Evil" delivers a solid story rife with Geoff Johns' effective character use and David Finch's stunning artwork. Although the book suffers from confusing timelines and episodic material, its debut shows promise through some exceptionally notable moments and strong visual command. "Forever Evil" #1 paves the way for an interesting new epoch at DC Comics with a concept that will hopefully be just as effective in the tie-ins as it was here."

The second issue received mostly positive reviews. Schedeen gave the issue a 9.0 out of 10, saying the issue "manages to resurrect that feeling of excitement and sense of the unknown that event comics used to offer back when they were still a novelty." Schedeen felt though, that the Teen Titans inclusion was underused, and appeared to just be a set up for their tie-in issues. David Pepose of Newsarama gave the issue an 8 out of 10, feeling that Johns give just enough new material to keep readers interested, but would like to see the story "really cut loose". Comic Book Resources' Doug Zawisza was more critical, giving the issue 2.5 stars out of 5. He felt "Forever Evil" #2 was "filled with cool little moments that play nicely in a collection, but the story itself needs to get some traction soon or this series might simply be a collection of cool little moments without any strong significance."

"Forever Evil" #3 received positive reviews. Comic Book Resources' Jim Johnson gave the issue 4 stars out of 5, saying, "Johns makes sure that "Forever Evil" #3 gives readers their money's worth in the form of an intriguing idea with unexpected surprises amidst a foreboding but darkly fascinating environment. Finch and Friend do their part by making sure that the bad guys look good, and the true villains look threatening on a convincingly ruined and darkened world. Anyone who likes what Johns has done at DC and wants to see a modern-day DC multiverse done right will not want to miss this." Grey gave the issue an 8 out of 10, saying, "After three issues and several tie-ins, Geoff Johns finally starts answering a few questions after leaving us hanging since August. With "Forever Evil" #3, Johns begins to bring together a number of the mini-series and satellite events, including "Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion", that have been setting up narrative pins without any corresponding force to knock them down." Schedeen gave the issue an 8.3 out of 10, saying the issue was "another entertaining installment of this series, though the overall momentum of the event is starting to feel sluggish."

"Forever Evil" #4 received mixed reviews. Schedeen gave the issue an 8.0 out of 10, saying, ""Forever Evil" #4 makes some mistakes in terms of separating Batman and Luthor's factions and trying to hard to humanize Luthor. But it also manages to build Luthor's team into a compelling force and inject the plot with a spark of life it was starting to lose." Grey also gave the issue an 8 out of 10, adding, "Geoff Johns doesn’t deliver any Christmas miracles for the beleaguered team in this final "Forever Evil" for 2013, but he does pack every square inch of it with enough geekgasm inducing moments that it’s just like opening your presents all over again. More importantly, the story finally feels as though it is moving forward again after several months of tie-in selling stagnation." Conversely, Matt Little of Comic Book Resources gave the issue 2.5 stars out of 5, saying, ""Forever Evil" #4 is the halfway point of DC's big 2013 event, and it makes the story feel like it should be a five issue tale. We're in character shuffling mode, rearranging players on the board so they're in place for different stories that don't even look like they'll be told in this series. This issue is the comic book equivalent to listening to a friend standing outside a party telling you about how cool it is inside when all you want to do is just go in and see for yourself."

Pepose gave "Forever Evil" #5 a 5 out of 10. He said, "For every good thing this book does, there's another misstep or flaw that takes it right back to where it started. The premise is not one without potential - the idea that evil is relative, even in the traditionally black-and-white morality of the DC Universe, is one that can be mined for drama... But in order to really hit that mark, Johns needs to dig deeper, and to dig faster, as well - these are bad guys that I want to love, and I want to hate that I love them, too. But right now, it's hard to muster up much enthusiasm for DC's A-list bad guys." Schedeen gave the issue an 8.8 out of 10, saying, This is the issue of Forever Evil we've been waiting for. After four issues of slow build-up, Geoff Johns has finally assembled his full team of villains to stand in opposition to the Crime Syndicate. Now Lex Luthor and his Secret Society are taking the fight to the Syndicate, and the tide of battle is beginning to turn. The result is easily the most memorable chapter of the series so far." Zawisza stated, ""Forever Evil" #5 turns a corner in the story and also gives readers some crazy fights. It's a decent transition issue that doesn't feel like it's wasting time or shuffling in place, but instead begins to make small moves across the board, setting up the final conflict and (hopefully) the resolution to DC's crossover event. Lex Luthor is throwing down the gauntlet and making a run at reclaiming the Earth, just as the Crime Syndicate is beginning to fracture. With two issues left, Johns has saved plenty of drama, but at least he delivers some fun action scenes here," giving the issue 3 stars out of 5. Conversely Zawisza gave the issue 1.5 stars out of 5, stating, "As penultimate tales go, "Forever Evil" #6 has action and excitement, leading up to a big-time brawl, but it doesn't ever feel like it has turned the corner to deliver on any of the promises made. This series has been a bit of a disappointment and this issue is no exception;... [it] could have been "Forever Evil" #2, 3 or even 4 and a lot of foot dragging could have been eliminated."

Michael Moccio of Newsarama gave "Forever Evil" #6 an 8 out of 10, saying, "Between the reveal of the masked prisoner, to Nightwing’s fate "still" being up in the air, to the spot on art by David Finch, this issue has so much going for it, that the small hiccups along the way become a moot point by the end... Besides the fact that Geoff Johns and the rest of DC continually tug at our hearstrings with the relationship Batman has with his partners, the creative team of "Forever Evil" hit it out of the park by complementing each other’s strengths. This success sets them up with a perfect opportunity to bring the arc to an explosive and exciting end." Schedeen added, ""Forever Evil" #6 leaves readers wanting more, and that’s both its greatest strength and one real weakness. It’s a fantastically entertaining comic that capitalizes on Johns’ flair for writing villains and all the build-up that has taken place so far. But it's depressing to think that this gathering of villains only has one more issue left before evil recedes again. I wanted more interaction among Luthor's group and between that group and the Crime Syndicate. The emergence of Forever Evil's final threat runs the risk of distracting from what has made this event work so well in the first place," giving the issue a 9.2 out of 10.

Newsarama's Richard Gray gave the first issue a 7 out of 10, saying, "While this may have been better off as a Steve Trevor one-shot, with little evidence so far that there’s enough material here to sustain an entire mini-series, it is one of the first main “Forever Evil” tie-ins to give some glimmer of hope that there's a plan to get out of this thing." Jesse Schedeen of IGN gave the issue a 6.9 out of 10, saying, "It speaks to how well Forever Evil is unfolding that DC is launching a third tie-in mini-series and I still look forward to it with some anticipation." However, he felt the use of three different pencillers hurt the book. Comic Book Resources' Doug Zawisza gave the issue 2 out of 5 stars, saying, ""Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S." #1 succeeds in the spots where it doesn't focus on the acronym, the organization or the crossover with "Forever Evil". Essentially, if this comic were called "The Adventures of Steve Trevor", it would be a lot more on-target. The cover makes this seem as though it is a book about a team of warriors, but the story inside narrows the focus to Steve Trevor and Etta Candy, with a few cyphers dropped in for padding. This isn't the greatest tie-in story ever, but it's also not the worst."

Doug Zawisza of Comic Book Resources gave issue 1, 2.5 stars out of 5. He stated, "The concept of Gotham split among villains is an entertaining concept and Bane's assault on the city will certainly be an interesting read, but "Forever Evil: Arkham War" #1 needs just a little more personality to really hook readers [because] right now this story is a trainwreck." IGN's Jesse Schedeen gave the issue a 7.1 out of 10, saying ""Arkham War" isn't a bad event tie-in, but if it's going to stick to a predictable formula of Bane battling one Arkham-ite after another, it could grow very stale very quickly." Richard Gray of Newsarama said, "This series has the potential to create a major power shift in Gotham or simply be a curious distraction," giving the issue a 6 out of 10.

The second issue received a 7.6 out of 10 from Schedeen. He stated that ""Arkham War" definitely improved in its second issue. However, most of the villains in this series are basically just eye candy and cameo fodder, and it would be nice to see more of them used as purposefully as characters like Scarecrow and Penguin." Jake Baumgart of Newsarama, who gave the issue a 7 out of 10, added that the issue "scratches a very particular itch in that we get to see these popular villains battle it out and stab each other in the back. Does this make for the most compelling story? Maybe not - but it sure is fun!"

"Arkham War" #3 received a 5.8 out of 10 from Schedeen, saying, "Surprisingly, a comic about every single Gotham villain (except Joker) locked in a brutal turf war isn't the greatest part of "Forever Evil". I suppose that says as much about the quality of Forever Evil as it does this book. Things were looking up in issue #2 thanks to an improved portrayal of Bane. Unfortunately, this issue pulls a 180 and makes this villainous mastermind an object of ridicule rather than fear." The final issue received a 6 out 10 from Baumgart.

Newsarama's Richard Gray gave the first issue an 8 out of 10. He felt "Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion" "is a welcome shift away from the main event with a focus on a smaller group of villains who just don’t want to play ball with the big bad" and "has instantly become one of the most engaging aspects of the “Forever Evil” event." IGN's Melissa Grey gave the issue an 8.7 out of 10, saying, "writer Brian Buccellato has hit precisely the tone he needed to in order to emphasize the moral shades of gray the Rogues occupy." Doug Zawisza of Comic Book Resources gave the issue 3 stars out of 5, saying, "tied into the main "Forever Evil" series, this story is strong enough to stand on its own, but would have benefited from consistent art," a sentiment seen from all.

Gray gave issue two of "Rogues Rebellion" an 8 out of 10, saying, "While the rest of “Forever Evil” grapples with the bigger questions of the whereabouts of the Justice League, the moon being shifted out of its orbit and general villainy, "Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion" focuses on a compelling set of characters at the heart of the maelstrom, and is all the more rewarding for it." Greg McElhatton of Comic Book Resources gave the third issue 2 stars out of 5. He said, ""Forever Evil: Rogue's Rebellion" #3 ultimately feels forgettable. It's not bad but it's not anything special, either. In the end, "Forever Evil: Rogue's Rebellion" feels like it's headed into the realm of generic comic event tie-in. Sadly, it'll have a lot of company."

Issue four received a 7 out of 10 from Newsarama's Rob McMonigal. He said, "Pitting Flash’s foes against Batman’s while both are out of play is a great move by writer Brian Buccellato. Bruce’s foes are ruthless, brutal, and backstabbing. Barry’s try to stick together, even against hopeless odds. In a world of extreme evil, their brand of criminal is almost heroic. Co-artists Scott Hepburn and Andre Coelho do a great job with visualizing the large cast, but their action is a bit stiff, with panel choices that don’t create a lot of tension. Still, this is one of the best things to come out of "Forever Evil" so far." "Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion" issue five received a 6 out of 10 from Michael Moccio of Newsarama. Moccio stated, "Brian Buccellato continues filling in the blanks in the Forever Evil story in this latest issue with the loveable Rogues. Our heroes, especially Weather Wizard, get a chance to finally catch a break, and Buccellato manages to do this while still keeping to the desperate tone of the overall Forever Evil storyline... The art is the weakest part of the issue, making it appear too cartoonish. The proportions, especially in the face, are off and distracting, and the flat coloring adds to the two-dimensional feel of the book... With the mysterious entity emerging in the main storyline, readers are left wondering with where this part of the story will finish."

Jesse Schedeen of IGN gave "Justice League" #24 an 8.5 out of 10. He felt, "If you've enjoyed the scenes of Ultraman snorting Kryptonite and generally being as un-Superman-like as possible, you'll like Johns' origin story here." As well, "Johns is able to push the ongoing Forever Evil threads forward a bit more, hinting at the tension among the Crime Syndicate, the identity of their mysterious prisoner, and the threat that drove them away from Earth-3 in the first place." Comic Book Resources' Doug Zawisza enjoyed the issue, giving it 3.5 stars out of 5. He enjoyed the panel and shout out to the Doom Patrol, but was disappointed that it appeared the battle between Ultraman and Black Adam would be concluded in "Forever Evil" #3, and not in "Justice League". Richard Gray of Newsarama gave the issue a 7 out of 10, saying, "The basic building blocks are all here for an interesting introduction to a new world, but this is still ultimately the fundamental dilemma of "Forever Evil". It's a beginning of something when it should be the dramatic apex following an already cataclysmic change. With the main story continuing in the pages of the seven-part "Forever Evil" mini-series, it's just hard to escape the feeling that DC's flagship title is being used here as a sideshow to the main event.

Issue 25 received a 9.3 out of 10 from Schedeen. He said the "Owlman-centric story makes for the strongest "Forever Evil" tie-in so far," adding that Johns, who "already cleverly subverted the Batman origin once with Flashpoint's Batman... winds up combining a few elements of [that character and Scott Snyder's recent take on the rise of Earth-1's Owlman], firmly establishing this Owlman as different from either character." Gray gave the issue a 6 out of 10, feeling a bit different from Schedeen, saying, "Ultimately, the issue doesn’t bring us any closer to finding out what the current status of the "real" Justice League is, nor does it further the plans and schemes of the Crime Syndicate, save for the last few pages. It does, however, remain a solid piece of standalone storytelling, which would be terrific if we could take it as such. However, as part of a bigger piece of the arc, it certainly doesn’t feel like essential reading." Zawisza gave the issue 3.5 stars out of 5, saying, that despite an art team change, and the fact that the issue would be better served being titled "Forever Evil" #3.5, Johns' tells "an engaging and entertaining tale of the origin" of Owlman.

"Justice League" #26 received mixed reviews, with Comic Book Resources' Greg McElhatton giving the issue 2 stars out of 5, Gray giving it a 5 out of 10 and Schedeen awarding the issue an 8.1 out of 10. McElhatton said, "In the end "Justice League" #26 will work better as part of a supplemental collected edition to "Forever Evil" than as a "Justice League" story in its own right. It's just not as much fun as a single issue, alas" while Gray stated, "At its core, "Forever Evil" is a solid concept, as evidenced by the strength of ["Forever Evil" #4], but tie-in issues such as this show the inherent weakness in stretching a good idea too thin. Sucking any of the life and momentum out of the threads Johns was playing with in "Trinity War" and the related arcs, "Justice League", and by extension those books that relate to it, is now sitting very still and waiting for something to happen." Schedeen said, "Geoff Johns continues his efforts to flesh out the individual members of the Crime Syndicate. The big change this time is that issue #26 focuses on several team members, rather than just one. Grid, Power Ring, Johnny Quick, Atomica, and Deathstorm all step into the spotlight at varying points."

Zawisza gave issue 27 4 stars out of 5, saying, ""Forever Doomed" is somewhat predictable with regards to the appearance of the Doom Patrol and the motions Cyborg goes through, but "Justice League" #27 is nowhere near boring. This comic book serves very well as "Doom Patrol" #0 or even "Cyborg" #0 (maybe now Vic Stone will be able to find his way to a solo series) or a companion piece to "Forever Evil," but lacks the Justice League for which this comic is branded." Schedeen said, ""Justice League" #27 offers a change of pace for the series' Forever Evil tie-in storyline. Having explored the origins of the various Crime Syndicate members in previous issues, Geoff Johns now turns his attention back to Earth's dwindling lineup of heroes. As the cover suggests, Cyborg is the star of the show this month, although a handful of other characters put in appearances as well," giving the issue an 8.0 out of 10. David Pepose of Newsarama gave the issue a 7 out of 10, saying, "For those who have been exasperated at the slow pacing of "Forever Evil", well, you probably won't be too thrilled here -- this issue is certainly a detour, although it's one that might mean a lot for a truly underutilized hero (or several). That said, if comics like these are what we need to introduce even more of DC's properties back into the public eye, it's not a tremendous cost -- there's some humanity underneath all that event machinery, and it's nice to see "Justice League" #27 try to find that beating heart."

Issue 28 received positive reviews, with Grey giving the issue an 8 out of 10. He said, "The title of this month’s "Justice League", “Forever Worthy”, is somewhat apt, as this run has been a lot more fun than all expectations would have indicated. While the “Forever Evil” arc has undoubtedly taken its sweet time getting to wherever it is supposed to go, now entering its sixth month (or twice that long if taken together with the “Trinity War” storyline), it's also got an amazing continuing ability to find new corners of the New 52 to open up for the first time." Schedeen gave the issue an 8.8 out of 10, saying, "This issue didn't do much to advance the overall Forever Evil conflict, but the strong character work more than makes up for that. Johns is able to quickly and capably revamp the Metal Men for the New 52 without losing any of the goofy charm that made them special in the first place. Hopefully this issue is just the start of a bright future for this unusual superhero team." Zawisza also gave the issue praise, giving it 4 stars out of 5.

IGN's Jesse Schedeen and Comic Book Resources' Doug Zawisza both gave "Justice League of America" #8 favorable reviews, with an 8.6 out of 10 and 3.5 stars out of 5, respectively. Both enjoyed new series writer Matt Kindt's use of Martian Manhunter, and Doug Mahnke's art as a consistent factor from Geoff John's run on the title. Schedeen added that the series is "a vital addition to "Forever Evil", but it neither punishes readers who only want to read that series nor those who just want to keep up with the JLA characters."

"Justice League of America" #9 received a 6.8 out of 10 from Schedeen. He said, "While there's still a fair amount of space devoted to the other Leaguers and their respective torments, at least as much attention is devoted to fleshing out [Stargirl and Marian Manhunter's] histories within the New 52. And thank goodness, too, because most of the psychological torment elements feel redundant after being thoroughly covered in issue #8. Framing the ordeal through Stargirl's eyes now doesn't do enough to change the formula." David Pepose of Newsarama, giving the issue a 4 out of 10, felt that issue 9 was too similar to issue 8, exploring the same prisons only through Stargirl's eyes.

Issue 10 received mixed reviews, with Schedeen giving the issue 7.1 out of 10 and Zawisza giving the issue 2 stars out of 5. Schedeen said, "Despite being the only book to showcase the fate of the Justice Leagues during "Forever Evil", "Justice League of America" doesn't feel quite as vital or exiting as its sister series. It reads more like a method of keeping these characters out of the conflict until the right moment than something that really furthers the events of "Forever Evil". However, this storyline continues to succeed in one key area. It shines a spotlight on two character who haven't received enough attention in the New 52 so far - Martian Manhunter and Stargirl." Zawisza was less favorable, adding, "Featuring a fraction of the Justice League team usually found in this title, Kindt delivers an odd buddy story that isn't really much of a buddy story at all. The story itself is a quaint investigation of Stargirl's history, but it really could have been just as effective in a more condensed deliverable."

Issue 11 continued the mixed reviews, with Schedeen giving the issue a 6.9 out of 10 and Zawisza giving it 1 star out of 5. Schedeen said, ""Justice League of America" has pretty much run out of any useful material to add to "Forever Evil". The series is now really just a platform for Martian Manhunter and Stargirl to shine in ways they haven't been able to in the first two years of the New 52. And in that sense this tie-in arc remains successful, though the story really is beginning to feel drawn out by this point." Zawisza added, "This title certainly feels as though it has been shuffling its feet through the darkness of "Forever Evil," afraid of stepping on something or stubbing its toe, but more noticeably, it simply isn't getting anywhere with any speed. Instead of delivering stories worthy of the "Justice League of America" brand, this comic book is simply holding a spot on the shelves warm until something else shows up. I just hope whatever that "something else" is it brings more heart and character."

More positive reviews were given for "Justice League of America" #12. Schedeen gave the issue an 8.1 out of 10, saying, "This series' Forever Evil tie-in storyline was really beginning to drag in issue #11. But fortunately, with only one issue left to go until the finale, the pace is rapidly picking up again. It's not even that issue #12 hits markedly different beats from #11. It's more the winning blend of action and desperate emotion Matt Kindt is able to bring to the table. Never has the desperation of Martian Manhunter and Stargirl's cross-country journey been more palpable. But even when death and failure loom closer than ever, hope springs anew." Newsarama's Jake Baumgart gave the issue a 7 out of 10, saying, "What is probably the main hang up of "Justice League of America" #12 isn’t that it leaves the reader hungry for more, but unsatisfied... Matt Kindt does an excellent job of establishing the relationship between what might seem like a completely random pairing and adding a level of compassion to their characters that hasn’t been established in recent history... Even though this issue is mired in crossover confusion, "Justice League of America" #12 is still a strong book about DC’s leading heroes." Jim Johnson of Comic Book Resources added, ""Justice League of America" #12 is a "Forever Evil" tie-in that has its moments, and ends on a promising note that bodes well for next issue, but also has a lot of soft spots that hold it back from being a truly worthy extension of the overall story. It's the kind of ancillary comic that many might have expected to be a lot worse, but easily could have been so much better," giving the issue 3 stars out of 5.

Jesse Schedeen of IGN gave issue 24 a 7.4 out of 10, saying, "Even with [Ales] Kot gone and the series tying into "Forever Evil", this is still the slick, deadly version of the Squad from the past few months." Greg McElhatton of Comic Book Resources echoed Schedeen, added "Kindt's first issue on the series feels rather fitting, since it's essentially about a new creative team trying to take over the Suicide Squad during the chaos of "Forever Evil"," and that Kindt's script "sticks firm with what readers have seen up until now." McElhatton gave the issue 3 stars out of 5. Newsarama's Rob Mcmonigal gave the issue an 8 out 10, saying, "Writer Matt Kindt doesn't disappoint here [with] full of action from start to finish."

Pierce Lydon of Newsarama gave issue 25 a 6 out of 10, saying, "The return of a fan-favorite character and Kindt’s character work with Harley is the standout in an issue that could be characterized as something of a red herring." Doug Zawisza of Comic Book Resources gave the issue 3.5 stars out of 5. He felt that, "With the pair of teams yielding over a half dozen characters, and layers of subplots and revealed secrets, "Suicide Squad" #25 is a very thick read, rewarding the reader on multiple levels and promising plenty more intrigue and excitement."

Lydon gave issue 28 a 3 out of 10, saying, "Even O.M.A.C. can’t save this one. Matt Kindt’s uneven plotting and characterization is matched in its inconsistency by Jason Masters and Carlos Rodriguez’ art. Allt he double and triple crossing is coming a head as the gang sets aside some differences to deal with a Thinker-run OMAC bent on destroying them and Belle Reve. But there is very little substance here. OMAC takes out the entire team singlehandedly and Kindt throws in a solution that we don’t even get to see executed. It feels like a single issue stretched to its limits to cover enough pages for two. Masters and Rodriguez have a few moments of competency but overall their work is boring. Their visual storytelling is brought down by statuesque characters and a lack of clear focus. It's probably for the best that this book will soon be put out of its misery."

"Suicide Squad" #29 received a 6.9 out of 10 from Schedeen, saying ""Suicide Squad" #29 caps off this series' tie-in arc as the whole gang bands together to stop O.M.A.C.'s rampage. It's not a particularly remarkable finish, but it allows for some nice moments with several characters, sets the stage for the team post-Forever Evil, and offers new hope that DC is building towards something bigger with the various Jack Kirby characters." Lydon gave the final issue a 3 out of 10, saying, "Matt Kindt’s run on "Suicide Squad" ends with a whimper... There’s no wow factor in this one. It’s just being seen through to the end. The ending does move toward resetting the concept of the "Suicide Squad", maybe in the hopes that a new writer can do them some justice in the future."

The "Villains Month" event and issues were met with mixed reviews. Some of the month's highlights include: "Count Vertigo" #1, "Deadshot" #1, "Black Manta" #1, "The Riddler" #1, "Arcane" #1, "Cheetah" #1, "Man-Bat" #1 and "Parasite" #1. Conversely, "Joker's Daughter" #1 was universally criticized, with IGN saying "It does almost nothing to justify its existence. The story is less than engaging and the main character is probably the least interesting villain of all time. "Joker's Daughter" is a mess from start to finish and certainly not a comic that can be recommended to fans of Batman or the Joker. This is rock bottom for "Villains Month", no doubt." Newsarama stated that the issue "bounces all over the place and never once finds any kind of voice, for character or story" and reviewer Aaron Duran had no idea what was going on. Greg McElhatton of Comic Book Resources added, "this is a comic that you shouldn't be rushing to the store in order to snag a copy" and "within six months, most readers will be trying to forget all about the new Joker's Daughter."

For September 2013, Diamond Comic Distributors announced that "Forever Evil" #1 was the best selling title of the month. In addition, the four "Batman" "Villains Month" titles were in the top ten, with "Joker" #1 placing fifth, "Riddler" #1 sixth, "Bane" #1 eighth, and "Penguin" #1 coming in tenth, while all "Villains Month" titles with a 3D cover ranked in the top 125 in sales. "Villains Month" titles with a 2D cover placed between 49 and 211 on the chart. In October 2013, "Forever Evil" #2 was the fourth best selling title of the month, with "Justice League" #24 coming in sixth. In November 2013, "Forever Evil" #3 was the fifth best selling title of the month. In December 2013, "Forever Evil" #4 ranked fourth for the month, while "Justice League" #25 and 26 ranked sixth and eighth, respectively, in sales. "Forever Evil" #1-4 ranked 15, 38, 53, and 67, respectively, in Diamond Comic Distributors' Top 500 Comic Books of 2013. All four "Batman" "Villains Month" titles and "Justice League" #24-26 ranked in the top 100 as well. Additionally, 17 other "Villains Month" titles, "Forever Evil: Arkham War" #1 and 2, "Justice League of America" #8-10 and "Justice League Dark" #24 made the list. In January 2014, "Justice League" #27 was the fourth best selling title of the month, along with "Justice League of America" #11 in tenth. "Forever Evil" #5 was the second best selling title of February 2014, with "Justice League" #28 placing fifth. For March 2014, "Forever Evil" #6 was the third best selling title, while "Justice League of America" #13 placed 22 and "Forever Evil: Arkham War" #6 placed 52. In April 2014, "Justice League" #29 was the fifth best selling title of the month. "Forever Evil" #7 was the fifth best selling title of May 2014.

The crossover is collected in the following volumes:The September 2013 "Villains Month" titles were collected in the following volume:The storyline served as inspiration for the 2018 video game, "Lego DC Super-Villains".

Forever Evil

"Forever Evil" is a 2013–2014 crossover comic book storyline published by DC Comics that began in September 2013 and ended in May 2014, consisting of an eponymous, central miniseries written by Geoff Johns and art by David Finch. It is the first line wide crossover since The New 52 reboot of the DC Universe, and focuses on all the villains of the DC Universe. The miniseries spins out of the events in "Trinity War". Johns revealed in August 2013, that the Crime Syndicate, an evil version of the Justice League from Earth-3 in the Multiverse, are the true villains of the event and not the previously thought Secret Society. The event was originally scheduled to end in March with "Forever Evil" #7, yet ended in May 2014, after the final issue got delayed to April, and eventually again to May. The final issue's delay was due to Johns realizing he needed more pages to conclude the story than originally intended.

With the three Justice League teams—the Justice League, Justice League of America, and Justice League Dark—"dead," the Crime Syndicate come from Earth-3 to take over this world, where they recruit villains to their cause. Earth-0 villains that resist the Crime Syndicate follow Lex Luthor to form the Injustice League to take down the Crime Syndicate.

In the final issue of the "Trinity War" event, the leader of the Secret Society, revealed to be Alfred Pennyworth of Earth-3, uses Pandora's Box to open a gateway from Earth-0 to Earth-3, which allows Ultraman, Superwoman, Owlman, Johnny Quick, Power Ring, and Deathstorm to arrive, while their teammate Sea King does not survive the trip. In addition, Superwoman brings a hooded prisoner through the gateway with them. Atomica is revealed to be the mole in the Leagues and is actually Atomica from Earth-3. A sentient computer virus named Grid separates Cyborg's prosthetics from Victor's body. The Crime Syndicate attack the three Justice Leagues and claim Earth-0 now belongs to them.

Cheetah is locked in Belle Reve at the end of "Justice League" #14, and communicates with an unknown person telling them she has been locked up and will wait for Black Manta, while in "Constantine" #4, Zatanna mentions premonitions of an upcoming war between superheroes triggered by a death, and John Constantine shaking hands with Lex Luthor.

John Constantine, Swamp Thing, Nightmare Nurse, Pandora and the Phantom Stranger attempt to defeat Blight, who is the manifestation of evil itself, and rescue the missing members of the three Justice League teams.

"Teen Titans" #24-25 were originally solicited as tie-ins to the event, but upon their release, did not tie in, instead focusing on the Titans' individual travels through the time stream, as a result of the events in "Forever Evil" #2. "Justice League" #30, "Justice League of America" #14, and "Suicide Squad" #30, while not part of the official event, all featured the "Forever Evil" banner on their covers, and dealt with the aftermath of the event.

For the month of September, in conjunction with "Forever Evil", approximately one third of the ongoing titles at the time published multiple "Villains Month" issues, while the rest skipped publication. All titles used the "point" system, replacing the current number system, which resumed in October 2013. Titles were known by both their normal publication title, as well as their "Villains Month" title. Each book features 3D lenticular motion covers on the front and back of the title. DC also released 2D versions of the covers as well. As the 3D covers had to be printed months in advance than normal, neither the 3D or the 2D covers featured creator credits. This drew criticism from Yanick Paquette, who later clarified his complaints, saying he was unaware of the additional production needed for the covers and understood this was a decision DC was forced to make, in order to get the covers out on time.

The DC villains that received their own titles and were a part of "Forever Evil" brought comparison to the Legion of Doom, because many of the villains are members of the different incarnations of the Legion of Doom. Many of the titles explore the background of the titular villain, with some being a straight one-shot, and others tying into "Forever Evil".

Dan DiDio stated that all story lines with all the heroes would be published through August 2013. "Forever Evil" began in September and would continue to March 2014, at which point the rest of the universe catches up to the events seen in "Forever Evil". DiDio added that there would be major shake ups with the teams, such as the Justice League, Suicide Squad, and Teen Titans, and that "nobody is safe." Geoff Johns stated that "Trinity War" and "Forever Evil" are the conclusion to the first phase of story arcs within The New 52. Johns added that this event would change the status quo of the DCU in a major way saying, “There are some major events that happen to some of our heroes and villains, and those are all reflected in the monthly books at the end of [the series], except for the ones that tie-in directly like the [three] Justice League titles, "Suicide Squad", and "Teen Titans". Those books will be up-to-speed monthly." The announcement of "Forever Evil: Blight" promised changes to the status quo for the titles involved, with each having major changes.

In August 2013, it was announced that at the conclusion of "Forever Evil", the Justice League of America "goes through a dramatic change" and relocate to Canada and recruit a Canadian superhero, who is Cree. The "Justice League of America" series would thus be retitled "Justice League Canada". However, in January 2014, it was announced that the "Justice League of America" series would no longer be retitled, instead being cancelled and relaunching as "Justice League United". Additionally, "Nightwing", "Suicide Squad" and "Teen Titans" were cancelled as well in April 2014. However, "Justice League of America", "Nightwing", and "Suicide Squad"s final issues were pushed back to May 2014.

The second issue received mostly positive reviews. Schedeen gave the issue a 9.0 out of 10, saying the issue "manages to resurrect that feeling of excitement and sense of the unknown that event comics used to offer back when they were still a novelty." Schedeen felt though, that the Teen Titans inclusion was underused, and appeared to just be a set up for their tie-in issues. David Pepose of Newsarama gave the issue an 8 out of 10, feeling that Johns give just enough new material to keep readers interested, but would like to see the story "really cut loose". Comic Book Resources' Doug Zawisza was more critical, giving the issue 2.5 stars out of 5. He felt "Forever Evil" #2 was "filled with cool little moments that play nicely in a collection, but the story itself needs to get some traction soon or this series might simply be a collection of cool little moments without any strong significance."

"Forever Evil" #3 received positive reviews. Comic Book Resources' Jim Johnson gave the issue 4 stars out of 5, saying, "Johns makes sure that "Forever Evil" #3 gives readers their money's worth in the form of an intriguing idea with unexpected surprises amidst a foreboding but darkly fascinating environment. Finch and Friend do their part by making sure that the bad guys look good, and the true villains look threatening on a convincingly ruined and darkened world. Anyone who likes what Johns has done at DC and wants to see a modern-day DC multiverse done right will not want to miss this." Grey gave the issue an 8 out of 10, saying, "After three issues and several tie-ins, Geoff Johns finally starts answering a few questions after leaving us hanging since August. With "Forever Evil" #3, Johns begins to bring together a number of the mini-series and satellite events, including "Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion", that have been setting up narrative pins without any corresponding force to knock them down." Schedeen gave the issue an 8.3 out of 10, saying the issue was "another entertaining installment of this series, though the overall momentum of the event is starting to feel sluggish."

Newsarama's Richard Gray gave the first issue a 7 out of 10, saying, "While this may have been better off as a Steve Trevor one-shot, with little evidence so far that there’s enough material here to sustain an entire mini-series, it is one of the first main “Forever Evil” tie-ins to give some glimmer of hope that there's a plan to get out of this thing." Jesse Schedeen of IGN gave the issue a 6.9 out of 10, saying, "It speaks to how well Forever Evil is unfolding that DC is launching a third tie-in mini-series and I still look forward to it with some anticipation." However, he felt the use of three different pencillers hurt the book. Comic Book Resources' Doug Zawisza gave the issue 2 out of 5 stars, saying, ""Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S." #1 succeeds in the spots where it doesn't focus on the acronym, the organization or the crossover with "Forever Evil". Essentially, if this comic were called "The Adventures of Steve Trevor", it would be a lot more on-target. The cover makes this seem as though it is a book about a team of warriors, but the story inside narrows the focus to Steve Trevor and Etta Candy, with a few cyphers dropped in for padding. This isn't the greatest tie-in story ever, but it's also not the worst."

Doug Zawisza of Comic Book Resources gave issue 1, 2.5 stars out of 5. He stated, "The concept of Gotham split among villains is an entertaining concept and Bane's assault on the city will certainly be an interesting read, but "Forever Evil: Arkham War" #1 needs just a little more personality to really hook readers [because] right now this story is a trainwreck." IGN's Jesse Schedeen gave the issue a 7.1 out of 10, saying ""Arkham War" isn't a bad event tie-in, but if it's going to stick to a predictable formula of Bane battling one Arkham-ite after another, it could grow very stale very quickly." Richard Gray of Newsarama said, "This series has the potential to create a major power shift in Gotham or simply be a curious distraction," giving the issue a 6 out of 10.

The second issue received a 7.6 out of 10 from Schedeen. He stated that ""Arkham War" definitely improved in its second issue. However, most of the villains in this series are basically just eye candy and cameo fodder, and it would be nice to see more of them used as purposefully as characters like Scarecrow and Penguin." Jake Baumgart of Newsarama, who gave the issue a 7 out of 10, added that the issue "scratches a very particular itch in that we get to see these popular villains battle it out and stab each other in the back. Does this make for the most compelling story? Maybe not - but it sure is fun!"

"Arkham War" #3 received a 5.8 out of 10 from Schedeen, saying, "Surprisingly, a comic about every single Gotham villain (except Joker) locked in a brutal turf war isn't the greatest part of "Forever Evil". I suppose that says as much about the quality of Forever Evil as it does this book. Things were looking up in issue #2 thanks to an improved portrayal of Bane. Unfortunately, this issue pulls a 180 and makes this villainous mastermind an object of ridicule rather than fear." The final issue received a 6 out 10 from Baumgart.

Newsarama's Richard Gray gave the first issue an 8 out of 10. He felt "Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion" "is a welcome shift away from the main event with a focus on a smaller group of villains who just don’t want to play ball with the big bad" and "has instantly become one of the most engaging aspects of the “Forever Evil” event." IGN's Melissa Grey gave the issue an 8.7 out of 10, saying, "writer Brian Buccellato has hit precisely the tone he needed to in order to emphasize the moral shades of gray the Rogues occupy." Doug Zawisza of Comic Book Resources gave the issue 3 stars out of 5, saying, "tied into the main "Forever Evil" series, this story is strong enough to stand on its own, but would have benefited from consistent art," a sentiment seen from all.

Gray gave issue two of "Rogues Rebellion" an 8 out of 10, saying, "While the rest of “Forever Evil” grapples with the bigger questions of the whereabouts of the Justice League, the moon being shifted out of its orbit and general villainy, "Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion" focuses on a compelling set of characters at the heart of the maelstrom, and is all the more rewarding for it." Greg McElhatton of Comic Book Resources gave the third issue 2 stars out of 5. He said, ""Forever Evil: Rogue's Rebellion" #3 ultimately feels forgettable. It's not bad but it's not anything special, either. In the end, "Forever Evil: Rogue's Rebellion" feels like it's headed into the realm of generic comic event tie-in. Sadly, it'll have a lot of company."

Issue 25 received a 9.3 out of 10 from Schedeen. He said the "Owlman-centric story makes for the strongest "Forever Evil" tie-in so far," adding that Johns, who "already cleverly subverted the Batman origin once with Flashpoint's Batman... winds up combining a few elements of [that character and Scott Snyder's recent take on the rise of Earth-1's Owlman], firmly establishing this Owlman as different from either character." Gray gave the issue a 6 out of 10, feeling a bit different from Schedeen, saying, "Ultimately, the issue doesn’t bring us any closer to finding out what the current status of the "real" Justice League is, nor does it further the plans and schemes of the Crime Syndicate, save for the last few pages. It does, however, remain a solid piece of standalone storytelling, which would be terrific if we could take it as such. However, as part of a bigger piece of the arc, it certainly doesn’t feel like essential reading." Zawisza gave the issue 3.5 stars out of 5, saying, that despite an art team change, and the fact that the issue would be better served being titled "Forever Evil" #3.5, Johns' tells "an engaging and entertaining tale of the origin" of Owlman.

"Justice League" #26 received mixed reviews, with Comic Book Resources' Greg McElhatton giving the issue 2 stars out of 5, Gray giving it a 5 out of 10 and Schedeen awarding the issue an 8.1 out of 10. McElhatton said, "In the end "Justice League" #26 will work better as part of a supplemental collected edition to "Forever Evil" than as a "Justice League" story in its own right. It's just not as much fun as a single issue, alas" while Gray stated, "At its core, "Forever Evil" is a solid concept, as evidenced by the strength of ["Forever Evil" #4], but tie-in issues such as this show the inherent weakness in stretching a good idea too thin. Sucking any of the life and momentum out of the threads Johns was playing with in "Trinity War" and the related arcs, "Justice League", and by extension those books that relate to it, is now sitting very still and waiting for something to happen." Schedeen said, "Geoff Johns continues his efforts to flesh out the individual members of the Crime Syndicate. The big change this time is that issue #26 focuses on several team members, rather than just one. Grid, Power Ring, Johnny Quick, Atomica, and Deathstorm all step into the spotlight at varying points."

Issue 28 received positive reviews, with Grey giving the issue an 8 out of 10. He said, "The title of this month’s "Justice League", “Forever Worthy”, is somewhat apt, as this run has been a lot more fun than all expectations would have indicated. While the “Forever Evil” arc has undoubtedly taken its sweet time getting to wherever it is supposed to go, now entering its sixth month (or twice that long if taken together with the “Trinity War” storyline), it's also got an amazing continuing ability to find new corners of the New 52 to open up for the first time." Schedeen gave the issue an 8.8 out of 10, saying, "This issue didn't do much to advance the overall Forever Evil conflict, but the strong character work more than makes up for that. Johns is able to quickly and capably revamp the Metal Men for the New 52 without losing any of the goofy charm that made them special in the first place. Hopefully this issue is just the start of a bright future for this unusual superhero team." Zawisza also gave the issue praise, giving it 4 stars out of 5.

IGN's Jesse Schedeen and Comic Book Resources' Doug Zawisza both gave "Justice League of America" #8 favorable reviews, with an 8.6 out of 10 and 3.5 stars out of 5, respectively. Both enjoyed new series writer Matt Kindt's use of Martian Manhunter, and Doug Mahnke's art as a consistent factor from Geoff John's run on the title. Schedeen added that the series is "a vital addition to "Forever Evil", but it neither punishes readers who only want to read that series nor those who just want to keep up with the JLA characters."

"Justice League of America" #9 received a 6.8 out of 10 from Schedeen. He said, "While there's still a fair amount of space devoted to the other Leaguers and their respective torments, at least as much attention is devoted to fleshing out [Stargirl and Marian Manhunter's] histories within the New 52. And thank goodness, too, because most of the psychological torment elements feel redundant after being thoroughly covered in issue #8. Framing the ordeal through Stargirl's eyes now doesn't do enough to change the formula." David Pepose of Newsarama, giving the issue a 4 out of 10, felt that issue 9 was too similar to issue 8, exploring the same prisons only through Stargirl's eyes.

Issue 10 received mixed reviews, with Schedeen giving the issue 7.1 out of 10 and Zawisza giving the issue 2 stars out of 5. Schedeen said, "Despite being the only book to showcase the fate of the Justice Leagues during "Forever Evil", "Justice League of America" doesn't feel quite as vital or exiting as its sister series. It reads more like a method of keeping these characters out of the conflict until the right moment than something that really furthers the events of "Forever Evil". However, this storyline continues to succeed in one key area. It shines a spotlight on two character who haven't received enough attention in the New 52 so far - Martian Manhunter and Stargirl." Zawisza was less favorable, adding, "Featuring a fraction of the Justice League team usually found in this title, Kindt delivers an odd buddy story that isn't really much of a buddy story at all. The story itself is a quaint investigation of Stargirl's history, but it really could have been just as effective in a more condensed deliverable."

Issue 11 continued the mixed reviews, with Schedeen giving the issue a 6.9 out of 10 and Zawisza giving it 1 star out of 5. Schedeen said, ""Justice League of America" has pretty much run out of any useful material to add to "Forever Evil". The series is now really just a platform for Martian Manhunter and Stargirl to shine in ways they haven't been able to in the first two years of the New 52. And in that sense this tie-in arc remains successful, though the story really is beginning to feel drawn out by this point." Zawisza added, "This title certainly feels as though it has been shuffling its feet through the darkness of "Forever Evil," afraid of stepping on something or stubbing its toe, but more noticeably, it simply isn't getting anywhere with any speed. Instead of delivering stories worthy of the "Justice League of America" brand, this comic book is simply holding a spot on the shelves warm until something else shows up. I just hope whatever that "something else" is it brings more heart and character."

Jesse Schedeen of IGN gave issue 24 a 7.4 out of 10, saying, "Even with [Ales] Kot gone and the series tying into "Forever Evil", this is still the slick, deadly version of the Squad from the past few months." Greg McElhatton of Comic Book Resources echoed Schedeen, added "Kindt's first issue on the series feels rather fitting, since it's essentially about a new creative team trying to take over the Suicide Squad during the chaos of "Forever Evil"," and that Kindt's script "sticks firm with what readers have seen up until now." McElhatton gave the issue 3 stars out of 5. Newsarama's Rob Mcmonigal gave the issue an 8 out 10, saying, "Writer Matt Kindt doesn't disappoint here [with] full of action from start to finish."

Pierce Lydon of Newsarama gave issue 25 a 6 out of 10, saying, "The return of a fan-favorite character and Kindt’s character work with Harley is the standout in an issue that could be characterized as something of a red herring." Doug Zawisza of Comic Book Resources gave the issue 3.5 stars out of 5. He felt that, "With the pair of teams yielding over a half dozen characters, and layers of subplots and revealed secrets, "Suicide Squad" #25 is a very thick read, rewarding the reader on multiple levels and promising plenty more intrigue and excitement."

Lydon gave issue 28 a 3 out of 10, saying, "Even O.M.A.C. can’t save this one. Matt Kindt’s uneven plotting and characterization is matched in its inconsistency by Jason Masters and Carlos Rodriguez’ art. Allt he double and triple crossing is coming a head as the gang sets aside some differences to deal with a Thinker-run OMAC bent on destroying them and Belle Reve. But there is very little substance here. OMAC takes out the entire team singlehandedly and Kindt throws in a solution that we don’t even get to see executed. It feels like a single issue stretched to its limits to cover enough pages for two. Masters and Rodriguez have a few moments of competency but overall their work is boring. Their visual storytelling is brought down by statuesque characters and a lack of clear focus. It's probably for the best that this book will soon be put out of its misery."

"Suicide Squad" #29 received a 6.9 out of 10 from Schedeen, saying ""Suicide Squad" #29 caps off this series' tie-in arc as the whole gang bands together to stop O.M.A.C.'s rampage. It's not a particularly remarkable finish, but it allows for some nice moments with several characters, sets the stage for the team post-Forever Evil, and offers new hope that DC is building towards something bigger with the various Jack Kirby characters." Lydon gave the final issue a 3 out of 10, saying, "Matt Kindt’s run on "Suicide Squad" ends with a whimper... There’s no wow factor in this one. It’s just being seen through to the end. The ending does move toward resetting the concept of the "Suicide Squad", maybe in the hopes that a new writer can do them some justice in the future."

The "Villains Month" event and issues were met with mixed reviews. Some of the month's highlights include: "Count Vertigo" #1, "Deadshot" #1, "Black Manta" #1, "The Riddler" #1, "Arcane" #1, "Cheetah" #1, "Man-Bat" #1 and "Parasite" #1. Conversely, "Joker's Daughter" #1 was universally criticized, with IGN saying "It does almost nothing to justify its existence. The story is less than engaging and the main character is probably the least interesting villain of all time. "Joker's Daughter" is a mess from start to finish and certainly not a comic that can be recommended to fans of Batman or the Joker. This is rock bottom for "Villains Month", no doubt." Newsarama stated that the issue "bounces all over the place and never once finds any kind of voice, for character or story" and reviewer Aaron Duran had no idea what was going on. Greg McElhatton of Comic Book Resources added, "this is a comic that you shouldn't be rushing to the store in order to snag a copy" and "within six months, most readers will be trying to forget all about the new Joker's Daughter."

The crossover is collected in the following volumes:The September 2013 "Villains Month" titles were collected in the following volume:The storyline served as inspiration for the 2018 video game, "Lego DC Super-Villains".

Forever Evil

"Forever Evil" is a 2013–2014 crossover comic book storyline published by DC Comics that began in September 2013 and ended in May 2014, consisting of an eponymous, central miniseries written by Geoff Johns and art by David Finch. It is the first line wide crossover since The New 52 reboot of the DC Universe, and focuses on all the villains of the DC Universe. The miniseries spins out of the events in "Trinity War". Johns revealed in August 2013, that the Crime Syndicate, an evil version of the Justice League from Earth-3 in the Multiverse, are the true villains of the event and not the previously thought Secret Society. The event was originally scheduled to end in March with "Forever Evil" #7, yet ended in May 2014, after the final issue got delayed to April, and eventually again to May. The final issue's delay was due to Johns realizing he needed more pages to conclude the story than originally intended.

With the three Justice League teams—the Justice League, Justice League of America, and Justice League Dark—"dead," the Crime Syndicate come from Earth-3 to take over this world, where they recruit villains to their cause. Earth-0 villains that resist the Crime Syndicate follow Lex Luthor to form the Injustice League to take down the Crime Syndicate.

In the final issue of the "Trinity War" event, the leader of the Secret Society, revealed to be Alfred Pennyworth of Earth-3, uses Pandora's Box to open a gateway from Earth-0 to Earth-3, which allows Ultraman, Superwoman, Owlman, Johnny Quick, Power Ring, and Deathstorm to arrive, while their teammate Sea King does not survive the trip. In addition, Superwoman brings a hooded prisoner through the gateway with them. Atomica is revealed to be the mole in the Leagues and is actually Atomica from Earth-3. A sentient computer virus named Grid separates Cyborg's prosthetics from Victor's body. The Crime Syndicate attack the three Justice Leagues and claim Earth-0 now belongs to them.

Cheetah is locked in Belle Reve at the end of "Justice League" #14, and communicates with an unknown person telling them she has been locked up and will wait for Black Manta, while in "Constantine" #4, Zatanna mentions premonitions of an upcoming war between superheroes triggered by a death, and John Constantine shaking hands with Lex Luthor.

John Constantine, Swamp Thing, Nightmare Nurse, Pandora and the Phantom Stranger attempt to defeat Blight, who is the manifestation of evil itself, and rescue the missing members of the three Justice League teams.

"Teen Titans" #24-25 were originally solicited as tie-ins to the event, but upon their release, did not tie in, instead focusing on the Titans' individual travels through the time stream, as a result of the events in "Forever Evil" #2. "Justice League" #30, "Justice League of America" #14, and "Suicide Squad" #30, while not part of the official event, all featured the "Forever Evil" banner on their covers, and dealt with the aftermath of the event.

For the month of September, in conjunction with "Forever Evil", approximately one third of the ongoing titles at the time published multiple "Villains Month" issues, while the rest skipped publication. All titles used the "point" system, replacing the current number system, which resumed in October 2013. Titles were known by both their normal publication title, as well as their "Villains Month" title. Each book features 3D lenticular motion covers on the front and back of the title. DC also released 2D versions of the covers as well. As the 3D covers had to be printed months in advance than normal, neither the 3D or the 2D covers featured creator credits. This drew criticism from Yanick Paquette, who later clarified his complaints, saying he was unaware of the additional production needed for the covers and understood this was a decision DC was forced to make, in order to get the covers out on time.

The DC villains that received their own titles and were a part of "Forever Evil" brought comparison to the Legion of Doom, because many of the villains are members of the different incarnations of the Legion of Doom. Many of the titles explore the background of the titular villain, with some being a straight one-shot, and others tying into "Forever Evil".

Dan DiDio stated that all story lines with all the heroes would be published through August 2013. "Forever Evil" began in September and would continue to March 2014, at which point the rest of the universe catches up to the events seen in "Forever Evil". DiDio added that there would be major shake ups with the teams, such as the Justice League, Suicide Squad, and Teen Titans, and that "nobody is safe." Geoff Johns stated that "Trinity War" and "Forever Evil" are the conclusion to the first phase of story arcs within The New 52. Johns added that this event would change the status quo of the DCU in a major way saying, “There are some major events that happen to some of our heroes and villains, and those are all reflected in the monthly books at the end of [the series], except for the ones that tie-in directly like the [three] Justice League titles, "Suicide Squad", and "Teen Titans". Those books will be up-to-speed monthly." The announcement of "Forever Evil: Blight" promised changes to the status quo for the titles involved, with each having major changes.

In August 2013, it was announced that at the conclusion of "Forever Evil", the Justice League of America "goes through a dramatic change" and relocate to Canada and recruit a Canadian superhero, who is Cree. The "Justice League of America" series would thus be retitled "Justice League Canada". However, in January 2014, it was announced that the "Justice League of America" series would no longer be retitled, instead being cancelled and relaunching as "Justice League United". Additionally, "Nightwing", "Suicide Squad" and "Teen Titans" were cancelled as well in April 2014. However, "Justice League of America", "Nightwing", and "Suicide Squad"s final issues were pushed back to May 2014.

The second issue received mostly positive reviews. Schedeen gave the issue a 9.0 out of 10, saying the issue "manages to resurrect that feeling of excitement and sense of the unknown that event comics used to offer back when they were still a novelty." Schedeen felt though, that the Teen Titans inclusion was underused, and appeared to just be a set up for their tie-in issues. David Pepose of Newsarama gave the issue an 8 out of 10, feeling that Johns give just enough new material to keep readers interested, but would like to see the story "really cut loose". Comic Book Resources' Doug Zawisza was more critical, giving the issue 2.5 stars out of 5. He felt "Forever Evil" #2 was "filled with cool little moments that play nicely in a collection, but the story itself needs to get some traction soon or this series might simply be a collection of cool little moments without any strong significance."

"Forever Evil" #3 received positive reviews. Comic Book Resources' Jim Johnson gave the issue 4 stars out of 5, saying, "Johns makes sure that "Forever Evil" #3 gives readers their money's worth in the form of an intriguing idea with unexpected surprises amidst a foreboding but darkly fascinating environment. Finch and Friend do their part by making sure that the bad guys look good, and the true villains look threatening on a convincingly ruined and darkened world. Anyone who likes what Johns has done at DC and wants to see a modern-day DC multiverse done right will not want to miss this." Grey gave the issue an 8 out of 10, saying, "After three issues and several tie-ins, Geoff Johns finally starts answering a few questions after leaving us hanging since August. With "Forever Evil" #3, Johns begins to bring together a number of the mini-series and satellite events, including "Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion", that have been setting up narrative pins without any corresponding force to knock them down." Schedeen gave the issue an 8.3 out of 10, saying the issue was "another entertaining installment of this series, though the overall momentum of the event is starting to feel sluggish."

Newsarama's Richard Gray gave the first issue a 7 out of 10, saying, "While this may have been better off as a Steve Trevor one-shot, with little evidence so far that there’s enough material here to sustain an entire mini-series, it is one of the first main “Forever Evil” tie-ins to give some glimmer of hope that there's a plan to get out of this thing." Jesse Schedeen of IGN gave the issue a 6.9 out of 10, saying, "It speaks to how well Forever Evil is unfolding that DC is launching a third tie-in mini-series and I still look forward to it with some anticipation." However, he felt the use of three different pencillers hurt the book. Comic Book Resources' Doug Zawisza gave the issue 2 out of 5 stars, saying, ""Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S." #1 succeeds in the spots where it doesn't focus on the acronym, the organization or the crossover with "Forever Evil". Essentially, if this comic were called "The Adventures of Steve Trevor", it would be a lot more on-target. The cover makes this seem as though it is a book about a team of warriors, but the story inside narrows the focus to Steve Trevor and Etta Candy, with a few cyphers dropped in for padding. This isn't the greatest tie-in story ever, but it's also not the worst."

Doug Zawisza of Comic Book Resources gave issue 1, 2.5 stars out of 5. He stated, "The concept of Gotham split among villains is an entertaining concept and Bane's assault on the city will certainly be an interesting read, but "Forever Evil: Arkham War" #1 needs just a little more personality to really hook readers [because] right now this story is a trainwreck." IGN's Jesse Schedeen gave the issue a 7.1 out of 10, saying ""Arkham War" isn't a bad event tie-in, but if it's going to stick to a predictable formula of Bane battling one Arkham-ite after another, it could grow very stale very quickly." Richard Gray of Newsarama said, "This series has the potential to create a major power shift in Gotham or simply be a curious distraction," giving the issue a 6 out of 10.

The second issue received a 7.6 out of 10 from Schedeen. He stated that ""Arkham War" definitely improved in its second issue. However, most of the villains in this series are basically just eye candy and cameo fodder, and it would be nice to see more of them used as purposefully as characters like Scarecrow and Penguin." Jake Baumgart of Newsarama, who gave the issue a 7 out of 10, added that the issue "scratches a very particular itch in that we get to see these popular villains battle it out and stab each other in the back. Does this make for the most compelling story? Maybe not - but it sure is fun!"

"Arkham War" #3 received a 5.8 out of 10 from Schedeen, saying, "Surprisingly, a comic about every single Gotham villain (except Joker) locked in a brutal turf war isn't the greatest part of "Forever Evil". I suppose that says as much about the quality of Forever Evil as it does this book. Things were looking up in issue #2 thanks to an improved portrayal of Bane. Unfortunately, this issue pulls a 180 and makes this villainous mastermind an object of ridicule rather than fear." The final issue received a 6 out 10 from Baumgart.

Newsarama's Richard Gray gave the first issue an 8 out of 10. He felt "Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion" "is a welcome shift away from the main event with a focus on a smaller group of villains who just don’t want to play ball with the big bad" and "has instantly become one of the most engaging aspects of the “Forever Evil” event." IGN's Melissa Grey gave the issue an 8.7 out of 10, saying, "writer Brian Buccellato has hit precisely the tone he needed to in order to emphasize the moral shades of gray the Rogues occupy." Doug Zawisza of Comic Book Resources gave the issue 3 stars out of 5, saying, "tied into the main "Forever Evil" series, this story is strong enough to stand on its own, but would have benefited from consistent art," a sentiment seen from all.

Gray gave issue two of "Rogues Rebellion" an 8 out of 10, saying, "While the rest of “Forever Evil” grapples with the bigger questions of the whereabouts of the Justice League, the moon being shifted out of its orbit and general villainy, "Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion" focuses on a compelling set of characters at the heart of the maelstrom, and is all the more rewarding for it." Greg McElhatton of Comic Book Resources gave the third issue 2 stars out of 5. He said, ""Forever Evil: Rogue's Rebellion" #3 ultimately feels forgettable. It's not bad but it's not anything special, either. In the end, "Forever Evil: Rogue's Rebellion" feels like it's headed into the realm of generic comic event tie-in. Sadly, it'll have a lot of company."

Issue 25 received a 9.3 out of 10 from Schedeen. He said the "Owlman-centric story makes for the strongest "Forever Evil" tie-in so far," adding that Johns, who "already cleverly subverted the Batman origin once with Flashpoint's Batman... winds up combining a few elements of [that character and Scott Snyder's recent take on the rise of Earth-1's Owlman], firmly establishing this Owlman as different from either character." Gray gave the issue a 6 out of 10, feeling a bit different from Schedeen, saying, "Ultimately, the issue doesn’t bring us any closer to finding out what the current status of the "real" Justice League is, nor does it further the plans and schemes of the Crime Syndicate, save for the last few pages. It does, however, remain a solid piece of standalone storytelling, which would be terrific if we could take it as such. However, as part of a bigger piece of the arc, it certainly doesn’t feel like essential reading." Zawisza gave the issue 3.5 stars out of 5, saying, that despite an art team change, and the fact that the issue would be better served being titled "Forever Evil" #3.5, Johns' tells "an engaging and entertaining tale of the origin" of Owlman.

"Justice League" #26 received mixed reviews, with Comic Book Resources' Greg McElhatton giving the issue 2 stars out of 5, Gray giving it a 5 out of 10 and Schedeen awarding the issue an 8.1 out of 10. McElhatton said, "In the end "Justice League" #26 will work better as part of a supplemental collected edition to "Forever Evil" than as a "Justice League" story in its own right. It's just not as much fun as a single issue, alas" while Gray stated, "At its core, "Forever Evil" is a solid concept, as evidenced by the strength of ["Forever Evil" #4], but tie-in issues such as this show the inherent weakness in stretching a good idea too thin. Sucking any of the life and momentum out of the threads Johns was playing with in "Trinity War" and the related arcs, "Justice League", and by extension those books that relate to it, is now sitting very still and waiting for something to happen." Schedeen said, "Geoff Johns continues his efforts to flesh out the individual members of the Crime Syndicate. The big change this time is that issue #26 focuses on several team members, rather than just one. Grid, Power Ring, Johnny Quick, Atomica, and Deathstorm all step into the spotlight at varying points."

Issue 28 received positive reviews, with Grey giving the issue an 8 out of 10. He said, "The title of this month’s "Justice League", “Forever Worthy”, is somewhat apt, as this run has been a lot more fun than all expectations would have indicated. While the “Forever Evil” arc has undoubtedly taken its sweet time getting to wherever it is supposed to go, now entering its sixth month (or twice that long if taken together with the “Trinity War” storyline), it's also got an amazing continuing ability to find new corners of the New 52 to open up for the first time." Schedeen gave the issue an 8.8 out of 10, saying, "This issue didn't do much to advance the overall Forever Evil conflict, but the strong character work more than makes up for that. Johns is able to quickly and capably revamp the Metal Men for the New 52 without losing any of the goofy charm that made them special in the first place. Hopefully this issue is just the start of a bright future for this unusual superhero team." Zawisza also gave the issue praise, giving it 4 stars out of 5.

IGN's Jesse Schedeen and Comic Book Resources' Doug Zawisza both gave "Justice League of America" #8 favorable reviews, with an 8.6 out of 10 and 3.5 stars out of 5, respectively. Both enjoyed new series writer Matt Kindt's use of Martian Manhunter, and Doug Mahnke's art as a consistent factor from Geoff John's run on the title. Schedeen added that the series is "a vital addition to "Forever Evil", but it neither punishes readers who only want to read that series nor those who just want to keep up with the JLA characters."

"Justice League of America" #9 received a 6.8 out of 10 from Schedeen. He said, "While there's still a fair amount of space devoted to the other Leaguers and their respective torments, at least as much attention is devoted to fleshing out [Stargirl and Marian Manhunter's] histories within the New 52. And thank goodness, too, because most of the psychological torment elements feel redundant after being thoroughly covered in issue #8. Framing the ordeal through Stargirl's eyes now doesn't do enough to change the formula." David Pepose of Newsarama, giving the issue a 4 out of 10, felt that issue 9 was too similar to issue 8, exploring the same prisons only through Stargirl's eyes.

Issue 10 received mixed reviews, with Schedeen giving the issue 7.1 out of 10 and Zawisza giving the issue 2 stars out of 5. Schedeen said, "Despite being the only book to showcase the fate of the Justice Leagues during "Forever Evil", "Justice League of America" doesn't feel quite as vital or exiting as its sister series. It reads more like a method of keeping these characters out of the conflict until the right moment than something that really furthers the events of "Forever Evil". However, this storyline continues to succeed in one key area. It shines a spotlight on two character who haven't received enough attention in the New 52 so far - Martian Manhunter and Stargirl." Zawisza was less favorable, adding, "Featuring a fraction of the Justice League team usually found in this title, Kindt delivers an odd buddy story that isn't really much of a buddy story at all. The story itself is a quaint investigation of Stargirl's history, but it really could have been just as effective in a more condensed deliverable."

Issue 11 continued the mixed reviews, with Schedeen giving the issue a 6.9 out of 10 and Zawisza giving it 1 star out of 5. Schedeen said, ""Justice League of America" has pretty much run out of any useful material to add to "Forever Evil". The series is now really just a platform for Martian Manhunter and Stargirl to shine in ways they haven't been able to in the first two years of the New 52. And in that sense this tie-in arc remains successful, though the story really is beginning to feel drawn out by this point." Zawisza added, "This title certainly feels as though it has been shuffling its feet through the darkness of "Forever Evil," afraid of stepping on something or stubbing its toe, but more noticeably, it simply isn't getting anywhere with any speed. Instead of delivering stories worthy of the "Justice League of America" brand, this comic book is simply holding a spot on the shelves warm until something else shows up. I just hope whatever that "something else" is it brings more heart and character."

Jesse Schedeen of IGN gave issue 24 a 7.4 out of 10, saying, "Even with [Ales] Kot gone and the series tying into "Forever Evil", this is still the slick, deadly version of the Squad from the past few months." Greg McElhatton of Comic Book Resources echoed Schedeen, added "Kindt's first issue on the series feels rather fitting, since it's essentially about a new creative team trying to take over the Suicide Squad during the chaos of "Forever Evil"," and that Kindt's script "sticks firm with what readers have seen up until now." McElhatton gave the issue 3 stars out of 5. Newsarama's Rob Mcmonigal gave the issue an 8 out 10, saying, "Writer Matt Kindt doesn't disappoint here [with] full of action from start to finish."

Pierce Lydon of Newsarama gave issue 25 a 6 out of 10, saying, "The return of a fan-favorite character and Kindt’s character work with Harley is the standout in an issue that could be characterized as something of a red herring." Doug Zawisza of Comic Book Resources gave the issue 3.5 stars out of 5. He felt that, "With the pair of teams yielding over a half dozen characters, and layers of subplots and revealed secrets, "Suicide Squad" #25 is a very thick read, rewarding the reader on multiple levels and promising plenty more intrigue and excitement."

Lydon gave issue 28 a 3 out of 10, saying, "Even O.M.A.C. can’t save this one. Matt Kindt’s uneven plotting and characterization is matched in its inconsistency by Jason Masters and Carlos Rodriguez’ art. Allt he double and triple crossing is coming a head as the gang sets aside some differences to deal with a Thinker-run OMAC bent on destroying them and Belle Reve. But there is very little substance here. OMAC takes out the entire team singlehandedly and Kindt throws in a solution that we don’t even get to see executed. It feels like a single issue stretched to its limits to cover enough pages for two. Masters and Rodriguez have a few moments of competency but overall their work is boring. Their visual storytelling is brought down by statuesque characters and a lack of clear focus. It's probably for the best that this book will soon be put out of its misery."

"Suicide Squad" #29 received a 6.9 out of 10 from Schedeen, saying ""Suicide Squad" #29 caps off this series' tie-in arc as the whole gang bands together to stop O.M.A.C.'s rampage. It's not a particularly remarkable finish, but it allows for some nice moments with several characters, sets the stage for the team post-Forever Evil, and offers new hope that DC is building towards something bigger with the various Jack Kirby characters." Lydon gave the final issue a 3 out of 10, saying, "Matt Kindt’s run on "Suicide Squad" ends with a whimper... There’s no wow factor in this one. It’s just being seen through to the end. The ending does move toward resetting the concept of the "Suicide Squad", maybe in the hopes that a new writer can do them some justice in the future."

The "Villains Month" event and issues were met with mixed reviews. Some of the month's highlights include: "Count Vertigo" #1, "Deadshot" #1, "Black Manta" #1, "The Riddler" #1, "Arcane" #1, "Cheetah" #1, "Man-Bat" #1 and "Parasite" #1. Conversely, "Joker's Daughter" #1 was universally criticized, with IGN saying "It does almost nothing to justify its existence. The story is less than engaging and the main character is probably the least interesting villain of all time. "Joker's Daughter" is a mess from start to finish and certainly not a comic that can be recommended to fans of Batman or the Joker. This is rock bottom for "Villains Month", no doubt." Newsarama stated that the issue "bounces all over the place and never once finds any kind of voice, for character or story" and reviewer Aaron Duran had no idea what was going on. Greg McElhatton of Comic Book Resources added, "this is a comic that you shouldn't be rushing to the store in order to snag a copy" and "within six months, most readers will be trying to forget all about the new Joker's Daughter."

The crossover is collected in the following volumes:The September 2013 "Villains Month" titles were collected in the following volume:The storyline served as inspiration for the 2018 video game, "Lego DC Super-Villains".

In addition to "Villains Month", a seven-issue limited series titled "Forever Evil", by Geoff Johns and David Finch, launched in September 2013 and focused on the Crime Syndicate, an evil version of the Justice League from Earth-3 in the Multiverse, as they attempt to take over Prime Earth in the Justice Leagues' defeat at the end of "Trinity War". The "Forever Evil" event ran in other titles starting in October 2013, including three 6-issue tie-in books that launched: "Forever Evil: Rogues Rebellion" by Brian Buccellato and Patrick Zircher; "Forever Evil: Arkham War" by Peter Tomasi, Scot Eaton and Jaime Mendoza; and "Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S." by Matt Kindt and Manuel Garcia. Other tie-in titles included: "Teen Titans", "Suicide Squad", "Justice League", "Justice League of America" and the "Forever Evil: Blight" storyline in "Constantine", "Justice League Dark", "Trinity of Sin: Pandora", and "Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger". "Forever Evil" #1 was also reprinted in a director's cut one-shot in October 2013.

The New 52

The New 52 was the 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero comic books. Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint" crossover storyline, DC cancelled all of its existing titles and debuted 52 new series in September 2011 with new first issues. Among the renumbered series were "Action Comics" and "Detective Comics", which had retained their original numbering since the 1930s.

The relaunch included changes to the publishing format; for example, print and digital comics began to be released on the same day. New titles were released to bring the number of ongoing monthly series to fifty-two. Various changes were also made to DC's fictional universe to entice new readers, including changes to DC's internal continuity to make characters more modern and accessible. In addition, characters from the Wildstorm and Vertigo imprints were absorbed into the DC Universe.

The New 52 branding ended after the completion of the "Convergence" storyline in May 2015, although the continuity of The New 52 continued. In June 2015, 24 new titles were launched, alongside 25 returning titles, with several of those receiving new creative teams. In February 2016, DC announced their Rebirth initiative with the release of an 80-page one-shot on May 25, 2016, and continuing through late 2016.

Following the conclusion of the "Flashpoint" limited series, all titles set in the DC Universe were cancelled and relaunched with new #1 issues. The new continuity features new outfits and backstories for many of DC's long-established heroes and villains. An interview with DC Comics executive editor Eddie Berganza and editor-in-chief Bob Harras revealed that the new continuity did not constitute a full reboot of the DC Universe but rather a "soft reboot". While many characters underwent a reboot or revamp, much of the DC Universe's history remained intact. Many major storylines such as "War of the Green Lanterns", "" and "" remained part of the new continuity, while others have been lost in part or in whole. DC editorial constructed a timeline that details the new history and which storylines to keep or ignore.

On August 31, 2011, Midtown Comics Times Square held a midnight event at which they began selling "Justice League" #1 and "Flashpoint" #5. On hand to sign the books were DC Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns, who was the writer of both titles, and Co-publisher and writer/artist Jim Lee, who illustrated "Justice League".

On January 12, 2012, DC announced that after their eighth issues, "Blackhawks", "Hawk and Dove", "Men of War", "Mister Terrific", "O.M.A.C.", and "Static Shock" would be cancelled and replaced with six new titles, which would reveal more of The New 52 DC Universe. The new titles were dubbed the Second Wave: "Dial H", "Earth 2", "G.I. Combat", "World's Finest", "Ravagers" and "Batman Incorporated", which was absent from the initial line of Batman titles, and would continue Grant Morrison's storyline from before The New 52 involving the conflict between Batman and Talia al Ghul.

On June 8, 2012, DC announced that in September 2012, the first anniversary of The New 52 launch, all titles would get a zero issue, dubbed "Zero Month". In addition, the Third Wave of titles was announced: "Talon", "Sword of Sorcery", "Phantom Stranger", and "Team 7". With these additions to the line, "Justice League International", "Captain Atom", "Resurrection Man", and "Voodoo" were cancelled.

In October and November 2012, DC announced new titles "Threshold", "Justice League of America", "Katana", "Justice League of America's Vibe", and "Constantine". "Threshold" would be published in January 2013, "Constantine" in March 2013, while the others would be published in February 2013. DC later consolidated these new titles as the Fourth Wave of The New 52. "G.I. Combat", "Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.", "Grifter", "Blue Beetle", and "Legion Lost" were cancelled as a result. "Young Romance: A New 52 Valentine's Day Special" #1 was published as the 52nd title in February 2013.

In January 2013, DC Comics announced the cancellation of "I, Vampire" and "DC Universe Presents" in April 2013. To celebrate the 60th birthday of "Mad Magazine" mascot Alfred E. Neuman, DC solicited variants drawn by "Mad" artists for 13 titles being published in April 2013.

Starting with titles released on January 28, 2013, all printed New 52 publications featured advertisements for fictional news channel, Channel 52. The two page back-ups, titled "Channel 52", appear in all books, starting in February 2013, and replaced the previous "DC Comics: All Access" features. This news feature stars Bethany Snow, Ambush Bug, Vartox, and Calendar Man as reporters and anchors on the fictional in-universe news show. The art is provided by Freddie E. Williams II. Each week brings new content regarding the current or future goings-on in the DC universe. Channel 52 and Bethany Snow make an appearance in the second season of "Arrow".

On January 30, 2013, DC announced that all titles released in April 2013 would be "WTF Certified". Each title would feature a gatefold cover and story lines and moments that will leave readers in a state of shock, including the return of Booster Gold. However, DC later dropped the "WTF Certified" branding and did not feature it on any of The New 52 books. In February 2013, it was announced that DC Comics would launch two new politically motivated books as parts of the Fifth Wave: "The Green Team: Teen Trillionaires" and "The Movement". These would explore concepts similar to the Occupy Movement and the role money has in a world of superheroes. A wave of cancellations was also announced for May 2013 including: "The Savage Hawkman", "The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Man", "Sword of Sorcery", "Team 7", "Deathstroke", and "The Ravagers".

In March 2013, DC announced that it would launch four new titles in June 2013, making up the rest of the Fifth Wave: "Superman Unchained", "Batman/Superman", "Larfleeze" and "". In April 2013, the cancellation of "Batman Incorporated" was announced for July 2013. DC also solicited two director's cut one-shots for the "Superman Unchained" book and the "" story arc. In May 2013, it was announced that "Batman Incorporated Special" #1 would be published to finish off the "Batman Incorporated" series in August 2013. Another director's cut one-shot was solicited for the "Trinity War" story arc, along with the cancellations of "Demon Knights", "Legion of Super-Heroes", "Threshold" and "Dial H".

In June 2013, DC announced that all titles in September 2013 would be "relaunched" as a #1, featuring a villain from that respective book, as part of "Villains Month". For example, "Detective Comics", which would have published issue 24 in September, would be released as "Detective Comics" #23.1 and "Poison Ivy" #1, with the issue being known by both titles. It was the first major crossover in the New 52 since "Flashpoint" and spun out of the aftermath of "Trinity War". Each book featured 3D lenticular front and back covers. DC also released 2D versions of the covers. Some books published multiple "Villains Month" issues, while others skipped publication in September 2013. For example, "Batman", "Superman", and "Justice League" are some of the titles that published four issues, while "The Flash" published three issues, "Aquaman" and others published two issues, and "Green Arrow" and others published only one.

It was also announced in June 2013 that the "" storyline in "Batman" would spin off into an event during November 2013, which would include other titles outside the "Batman" line of titles. The event, initially conceptualized to tell Batman's origin in The New 52, was featured in issue #25 of "Action Comics", "The Flash", "Green Arrow", and "Green Lantern Corps", along with "Batgirl", "Batwing", "Batwoman", "Birds of Prey", "Catwoman", "Detective Comics", "Nightwing", and "Red Hood and the Outlaws" in the "Batman" line. The various books explored their characters' connections to Gotham City, and their first encounters with Batman.

On June 17, 2013, DC announced two new titles, "Justice League 3000" and "Superman/Wonder Woman" as the first titles of the Sixth Wave, which began publication in October 2013. On July 16, 2013, DC announced "Harley Quinn", the third and last title of the Sixth Wave, which began publication in November 2013. In August 2013, it was announced that "Justice League 3000"s initial publication would be delayed to December 2013, following creative changes on the title.

In October 2013, DC announced "Batman Eternal", a weekly year-long series which would feature Batman, his allies, and others in Gotham City. It was announced in January 2014 that the series would begin in April of that year. The cancellation of "Katana" and "Justice League of America's Vibe" was also announced, with the titles' final publication in December 2013, while "Green Team: The Teen Trillionaires" would end in January 2014. Following the release of "", DC announced cover variants for 20 titles published in January 2014, featuring Scribblenauts-inspired artwork.

In November 2013, DC announced one-shot issues "Superman: Lois Lane" #1 and "Batman: Joker's Daughter" #1 for February 2014, featuring Lois Lane and the new Joker's Daughter, respectively. DC also announced that 20 titles being published in February 2014 would feature steampunk-inspired cover variants. As well, Johns revealed that the end of "Forever Evil" in March 2014 would mark the end of the first phase of The New 52, with a new phase starting in April 2014, "one that will see the introduction, and re-introduction, of a lot of characters, concepts and a decidedly new center to the DC universe."

In December 2013, it was announced that another weekly year-long series titled "" would begin publication in May 2014, with a free zero issue for Free Comic Book Day. The series would be set 5 years in the New 52's future. Co-writer Jeff Lemire stated that the series was "an exploration of DC's past, present and its future." Batman Beyond made his New 52 debut in the series. Solicitations published in December 2014 also revealed that 22 titles to be published in March 2014 would feature variant covers based on "Robot Chicken", to promote the second "Robot Chicken DC Comics Special".

In January 2014, DC announced "Aquaman and the Others", "Justice League United", "Secret Origins" and "Sinestro" ongoing series and "Forever Evil Aftermath: Batman vs Bane" #1 for publication in April 2014. In addition, DC revealed that "Justice League of America", "Nightwing", "Stormwatch", "Suicide Squad", "Superman Unchained", and "Teen Titans" would end in April 2014. It was also announced that April 2014 publications would feature a second wave of variant covers inspired by "MAD" magazine.

In February 2014, Gail Simone revealed that her series "The Movement" would be canceled in May 2014 after 12 issue. It was also revealed that 19 titles published in May 2014 would feature variant covers drawn by Mike Allred in the style of "Batman '66". A one-shot issue, "" #1 would also be published in May, as a tie-in to a crossover story arc of the same name.

DC later announced that as part of the celebration of The New 52's third anniversary, all ongoing titles published in September 2014 would feature stories that tied into "The New 52: Futures End".DiDio said that new ongoing titles would launch in June and July to be included in the event. Following the month of tie-ins, a third weekly titled "Earth 2: World's End" launched in October 2014. This title is set in the present DC Universe on Earth 2, while showcasing the events and circumstances that lead to the future depicted in "Futures End".

In March 2014, DC announced the launch of "Infinity Man and the Forever People", the one-shot "Harley Quinn Director's Cut" #0, and the cancellation of "Larfleeze" for June 2014. March also saw the announcement of variant covers for 20 titles in June 2014, based on the DC Collectibles "Bombshells" statue line designed by Ant Lucia, the covers feature retro and pinup versions of female characters. DC also revealed two new publications for July 2014: an ongoing series "Star-Spangled War Stories" and a one-shot "Harley Quinn Invades San Diego Comic-Con".

In April 2014, DC announced "Suicide Squad" and "Teen Titans" would be relaunched in July 2014, with the former being retitled "New Suicide Squad". A new series, titled "Grayson", focusing on character Dick Grayson following his role in Forever Evil, and a one-shot issue "Robin Rises: Omega", tied into the "Batman and Robin" storyline "The Hunt for Robin", would also debut. It was revealed that July 2014's variant theme would be Batman's 75th anniversary, with 21 publications featuring "Batman 75" themes. April also saw the official announcement of "The Multiversity", which began publication in August 2014; the 8-issue limited series was first mentioned by writer Grant Morrison in April–May 2009 intended for a 2010 release date. "The Multiversity" was intended to pick up on storylines left over from "52" and "Final Crisis".

In May 2014, DC announced that six titles, "All-Star Western", "Batwing", "Birds of Prey", "Superboy", "Trinity of Sin: Pandora" and "Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger", would have their final publications in August 2014. It was also revealed that 22 titles published in August 2014 would feature "DC Universe Selfie" variant covers, focusing on the popular trend of taking selfies. A second "Superman: Doomed" one-shot was also announced.

In June 2014, DC announced six new titles for their Ninth Wave: "Arkham Manor", "Deathstroke", "Gotham Academy", "Klarion", "Lobo", and "Trinity of Sin" for publication in October 2014.

In February 2015, it was announced that following the "Convergence" storyline in May, The New 52 branding would not be used anymore, although the continuity of The New 52 would continue. That June, 24 new titles were unveiled under a newly introduced DC You initiative, and most of the 25 remaining titles of The New 52 had new creative teams.

"The Multiversity Guidebook" #1 revealed that the 52 multiverse and changes to it to form the New 52 multiverse was the result of a phenomena called hypertime.

Soon after it was shown that Brainiac had taken cities from the Pre-Crisis, Post-Crisis, and Post-Flashpoint multiverses and placed them on a planet in another reality. The portion of himself he left behind renamed himself Telos and had the cities battle each other. Deimos of Skartaris tried to take complete control of the Telos' world but was killed by the Parallax-possessed Hal Jordan. This triggered a chain reaction that threatened to collapse the multiverse. To prevent this, Telos sends several of the heroes back to the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" to prevent the destruction of the original multiverse. Telos states "They have done it. Reality is resetting, stabilizing. Each world has evolved, but they all still exist." In an interview writer Jeff King stated "Post-Convergence, every character that ever existed, in either Continuity or Canon, is now available to us as storytellers."

In February 2016, DC announced its "Rebirth" initiative, a line-wide relaunch of its titles, to begin in June 2016. Beginning with an 80-page one-shot which was released on May 25, 2016, Rebirth also saw "Action Comics" and "Detective Comics" return to their previous numbering (#957 and #934 respectively), nearly all books releasing at, multiple books shifting to a twice-monthly release schedule, a number of existing titles relaunching with new #1 issues, and the release of several new titles. DC has used the "" and "" miniseries as examples of the basis for the initiative, which has been described as a rebirth of the DC Universe. The Rebirth initiative will reintroduce concepts from pre-"Flashpoint" continuity, such as legacy, that had been lost with The New 52 and build "on everything that's been published since Action Comics #1 up through The New 52."

In June 2011, DC Co-Publisher Jim Lee revealed that he and DC Art Director Mark Chiarello had enlisted artist Cully Hamner to help spearhead the redesign of characters for the relaunch of the DC Universe.

In late July 2011, DC released "The New 52", a free preview book giving solicitations and previews of all of the new titles launching from August 31, 2011. Notable continuity changes shown included Superman's two new looks: one which consists of jeans, a blue T-shirt with the "S" logo and a cape, the other consisting of Kryptonian battle armor that resembles his classic costume. Other notable changes included the integration of the Wildstorm imprint's characters into DC continuity, with Martian Manhunter as a part of the new Stormwatch team in the relaunched "Stormwatch" series.

"Justice League" was the first book of the relaunch, with the first issue released on August 31, 2011. The first story arc takes place five years in the past, detailing the first meeting of the Justice League members and the formation of the team.

The initial run of first issues show a universe in which superheroes have only appeared within the last five years and are viewed with suspicion and hostility, with Superman and Batman being pursued by the police five years ago at the start of their careers. In the present day, organizations such as the United Nations and the United States government seek to exploit and control the superheroes through groups such as the Justice League International and the Justice League of America.

The "Batman" family of titles strongly resemble the past continuity. However, former Batgirls Stephanie Brown and Cassandra Cain have had their histories erased. Additionally, all of the Robins have been accounted for, including the previously non-canonical Carrie Kelley. Stephanie Brown made her first appearance in The New 52 as the Spoiler in the teaser issue to "Batman Eternal" in "Batman" #28. Barbara Gordon recovered from the paralysis inflicted upon her by the Joker's bullet in "" and returned to crimefighting as Batgirl.

As for Superman, his romantic relationship and marriage to Lois Lane has not transpired, and his adoptive parents Jonathan and Martha Kent have died. He was depicted as being slightly more short-tempered, retaining his American identity, and in a relationship with Wonder Woman. Various character changes were implemented, such as Starfire, Guy Gardner, and Tim Drake having their origins significantly changed. Sinestro was depicted as having returned recently to the Green Lantern Corps, where he became a villain again. Meanwhile, the Earth-Two version of Alan Scott was depicted as gay.

The imprint titles are divided into seven families of titles, revolving around central characters or themes. By the release of the October 2013 solicitations, DC was no longer grouping the titles by these families. Instead they began releasing one larger solicit, titled "The New 52 Group". However, titles that were not participating in an event for the month, such as "Forever Evil", were still grouped together in the larger solicit by the previous family headings.

In February 2015, it was revealed that after the "Convergence" miniseries in June 2015, DC would no longer use The New 52 name to brand their books; however the continuity established in September 2011 would continue. Dan DiDio stated, "In this new era of storytelling, story will trump continuity as we continue to empower creators to tell the best stories".

The new titles would be about "reinventing key characters", such as Black Canary, Cyborg, Bizarro, and Starfire, with a new "contemporary tonality to ensure a diverse offering of comic books." In the initial "relaunch", 24 new publications joined 25 existing publications from before "Convergence", with new titles continuing to be added.

In March 2015, DiDio revealed there would not be an "overarching brand on this" stating the relaunch was just "DC Comics, pure and simple." However, in May 2015, DC announced the advertising campaign DC You for the relaunch, which highlighted the four main themes of characters, talent, stories and fans. The initiative, which began in DC's print and digital comics on May 20, before transitioning to other digital content on June 3, was featured on print inserts and ads, as well as on the DC Comics website and across social media with a special hashtag of #DCYou.

Pre-orders for "Justice League" #1 exceeded 200,000 copies. "Justice League" #1 has been sent back to press at least four times and all of The New 52's first issue titles sold out by September 24, 2011. For the month of September 2011, DC had 8 of the top 10 comic books, in spite of Marvel's heavily publicized replacement "Ultimate Spider-Man", Miles Morales debuting in that title the same month. "Justice League" #1 was the top selling comic book in 2011.

Writer Warren Ellis was unimpressed with the relaunch's sales, stating that it garnered DC a half-point lead in dollar share and a five-point lead in units sold over Marvel Comics. Ellis also pointed out that the units DC sold are returnable.

Columnist Heidi MacDonald stated that while the market share comparisons are correct, the sales figures for single issue books do not take into account the fact that returnable comics are downgraded by approximately 10%, and that DC's sales are about that amount lower than the actual sales, in order to allow for potential returns. MacDonald opined that while the sellouts and reprintings make returns unlikely, the sales will remain 10% lower throughout the period the books can be returned, which will last through December, and that actual sales would be adjusted for this factor in Diamond Comic Distributors' end of year figures.

Writer and ComicMix columnist Glenn Hauman wrote that relying solely on Diamond's numbers, to the exclusion of newsstand, overseas and digital sales, does not provide a complete measure of the relaunch's success. Hauman emphasized that the infinite long-term availability of digital editions will mean that sales will continue on the books for weeks and months afterwards, and that the market share for that market is uncertain.

By December 2011, Marvel Comics regained the top spot for market share in both dollars and units. In April 2013, DC's unit share fell below 28%, but rose to a 45.17% market share in September due to high orders for Villain Month. It fell back to 30.77% by January 2014.

"Forbes", "The New York Times" and "The A.V. Club" saw The New 52 as a good editorial move from DC. "The Christian Science Monitor"s Rich Clabaugh cited the relaunched "Action Comics" and "Detective Comics" as the strongest of the first week's releases.

In terms of the books themselves, Keith Phipps and Oliver Sava of "The A.V. Club" praised the art in "Justice League" #1, but thought its writing and structure was a weak point. In all, the two reviewers named "O.M.A.C.", "Captain Atom", "Animal Man" and "Wonder Woman" their favorite books of the relaunch. They gave "Batman" high praise, and enjoyed "Action Comics", "Swamp Thing", "Batwoman", "Frankenstein Agent Of S.H.A.D.E.", "Demon Knights", "Batman and Robin", "Nightwing", "Aquaman", "The Flash", "All Star Western", and "Voodoo". However, they both disliked "Detective Comics", "Hawk and Dove", "Legion Lost", "Red Lanterns", "Legion Of Super-Heroes", "DC Universe Presents: Deadman", "Superman", "Batman: The Dark Knight", "The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men", and "The Savage Hawkman". On the remaining titles, the reviewers were either split, or exhibited mixed reactions ranging from indifference to cautious optimism or curiosity.

Corrina Lawson of "Wired" dubbed the New 52 "a big, fat failure" from a reader standpoint, noting that the same stories could have been told without rebooting the fictional universe. She did, however, state that the New 52 was good from a business perspective, as it led to an increased market share for DC.

The launch of the New 52 was criticized for the lack of female creators, which had dropped from 12% to 1%, the latter figure represented by writer Gail Simone and Amy Reeder, an alternating artist on "Batwoman" who would not debut on that title until issue #6. This led to a tense interaction between fans and DC Comics co-publisher Dan DiDio at the 2011 San Diego Comic Con, where DiDio was asked by a fan about the drop in female creators from 12% to 1%. DiDio responded saying, "What do those numbers mean to you? What do they mean to you? Who should we be hiring? Tell me right now. Who should we be hiring right now? Tell me."

In an editorial responding to DiDio, Comics Alliance editor-in-chief Laura Hudson wrote, "Women are half of the world, and a significant percentage of the DC Comics character stable, and yet only 1% of their creators. And the way that you treat and represent half of the people in your world—and by extension, half of the people in the real world who might potentially buy your books—should be more than a marginal concern."

On July 29, 2011, DC released a letter addressing the lack of female creators on their official blog, highlighting notable female creators currently being published by them and promising more in the future. Hudson called the letter "an enormous and very positive departure from how DC Comics has dealt with controversies about gender and race in the past, which was almost uniformly not to comment", adding, "While it remains to be seen what sort of meaningful changes in either attitudes or hiring practices will follow, it certainly leaves me feeling more optimistic than I have in some time, or maybe ever."

DC also received criticism for its handling of certain female characters during the relaunch, sparking discussion of exploitative overtones in titles such as "Catwoman" #1 and "Red Hood and the Outlaws" #1. Laura Hudson of ComicsAlliance and Andrew Wheeler of Bleeding Cool criticized the relaunch for oversexualized characterization of its female characters, such as Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Starfire and Voodoo, and for cancelling books with female leads like "Power Girl", and relegating the star of that series to the status of Mister Terrific's girlfriend. Writer/editor Jim Shooter disliked the treatment of female characters in general, and referred to the treatment of Starfire in particular as "porn for kids". Keith Phipps and Oliver Sava agreed with the observations of "Catwoman" and "Red Hood and the Outlaws", but opined that "Voodoo" was a positive example how to incorporate a female character's sexuality as a relevant aspect of the story without appearing exploitative. Wheeler also complained that retconning Barbara Gordon's as a temporary injury from which she recovered, and restoring her as Batgirl, to the exclusion of Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown, made the DC Universe less diverse and inclusive. Responding to the criticism, "Catwoman" writer Judd Winick explained that it was DC that desired this tone for that book.

In June 2011, DC announced that Barbara Gordon would be returning to the role of Batgirl in September 2011, in her own eponymous monthly comic, as part of a company-wide relaunch of all of their titles. In addition, former "Birds of Prey" writer Gail Simone would be writing the series. This announcement became one of the most controversial aspects of the DC Comics relaunch. Supporters of Barbara Gordon in her persona as Oracle have expressed dismay over losing an iconic character for the disabled community. Journalist and blogger Jill Pantozzi, who is diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, stated that:

Gail Simone responded directly by stating that at times when others had attempted to restore Gordon's mobility, she fought to keep her as a disabled character, even in light of requests from readers who also had disabilities that wished to see the character healed. However, part of her reasoning for reversing her decision and writing "Batgirl" with Gordon as the title character was that:

Former "Batman" writer and editor Dennis O'Neil and "Oracle" co-creator John Ostrander expressed disappointment over the change. O'Neil stated that during his tenure at DC, "[W]e had hordes of people in spandex beating up criminals ... We didn't have anybody like Oracle, who overcame a disability and was just as valuable and just as effective in a way that didn't involve violence." However, he also stated that from an alternate point of view, "Barbara Gordon's perception in the mainstream public as Batgirl would be a very valid consideration." Ostrander continues to view Oracle as a stronger character than Batgirl, but has also expressed faith in Gail Simone's skills as a writer. He commented that "[t]imes change and characters and people evolve. I changed things when I wrote characters, including changing Barbara to Oracle. Others do the same for this era ... Gail Simone is a good friend and a wonderful writer and I'm sure her work will be wonderful."

A number of editorial controversies emerged in the wake of The New 52, prompting Topless Robot, a genre website owned by "The Village Voice", to publish an article in September 2013, "The Eight Biggest DC Creative Screw-Ups Since the New 52 Began". A number of these controversies concerned firings or resignations of creators, which in some cases, stemmed from conflicts between those creators and editorial decisions.

Writer/artist George Pérez, who left "Superman" after six issues, explained his departure in July 2012 as a result of the level of editorial oversight exerted on the title. This included the inconsistent reasons given for rewrites of his material, the inability of editors to answer basic questions about the new Superman's status quo, such as whether his adoptive parents were still alive, and the restrictions created by not being told that "Action Comics", with which "Superman" had to remain consistent, was set five years before "Superman", a situation complicated by the fact that "Action" writer Grant Morrison was not forthcoming about his plans.

In the following month Rob Liefeld, who had been hired by DC to plot "Grifter" and "The Savage Hawkman", and to plot and draw "Deathstroke", and who had indicated the previous month that his run on those titles would last into 2013, announced that he was quitting DC Comics, with his last issues being the #0 issues to be published that September. Though he characterized his experience on The New 52 as positive overall, he did not disguise his animosity toward editor Brian Smith, with whom he clashed, being among his reasons for leaving the company. Other reasons he cited were frequent rewrites of his material, and the overall corporate culture that was more prevalent now that both DC and Marvel were owned by large media conglomerates. Liefeld also referred to Scott Clark's artwork on "Grifter" as "crap". In response to these events, artist Pete Woods defended DC editorial, stating that the restrictions placed on creators was the result of a plan they had for all 52 of their titles that required them to be consistent with one another. Marvel's Senior Vice President of Publishing Tom Brevoort and writer Gail Simone defended Brian Smith, disputing Liefeld's characterization of him, leading to a heated exchange on Twitter between Liefeld and Brevoort, and eventually head "Batman" writer Scott Snyder as well.

In late November 2012, Rich Johnston of Bleeding Cool had noted the possibility of Gail Simone leaving "Batgirl" and possibly DC Comics as a whole. In December 2012, Gail Simone had revealed that she was no longer the writer of "Batgirl", despite the title being a consistent top-seller which had received favorable reviews. She had been informed by her new editor, Brian Cunningham, via e-mail of the creative change. Ray Fawkes would fill-in for two issues, "Batgirl" #17 and #18. Twelve days after being fired, however, Gail Simone had announced that she had been re-hired as the writer of "Batgirl", and that she would return following Fawkes' issues.

In March 2013, both Andy Diggle and Joshua Hale Fialkov announced that they would be leaving their writing duties at DC Comics. Diggle had previously signed as ongoing writer of "Action Comics" starting with issue #19, following Grant Morrison's run on the title. However, Diggle later announced that he would be leaving the title before the first issue had even been published, citing professional reasons. He is credited as the sole writer in issue #19. Series artist Tony Daniel finished Diggle's work on the title as a scripter. Fialkov was signed to write both "Red Lanterns" and "Green Lantern Corps" following Geoff Johns's departure from the Green Lantern line, however, Fialkov left DC Comics without a single issue being written by him due to creative differences with editorial.

In September 2013, J. H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman announced their intention to leave "Batwoman" with issue 26, citing last-minute editorial changes as the reason. Among these editorial decisions was a prohibition on having the title character marry her fiancée Maggie Sawyer. Co-Publisher Dan DiDio explained that the major superheroes in the Batman family of books should not get married because finding true happiness would undermine the angst and turmoil that typify those characters, and their commitment to the superhero lives they lead. Writer Marc Andreyko, who is openly gay himself, took over the title with issue 25, which featured a "" tie-in. This creative change interrupted the finale to Williams' and Blackman's work on the title; they had already written issues 25 and 26 prior to their departure. Andreyko resolved "Batwoman" #24's cliffhanger ending in "Batwoman Annual" #1.