Three of DC’s Best Teams Are Getting the Spotlight in New Next Level Books

DC’s teams are getting some long-overdue love. On Thursday, as part of their September 2026 solicitations, the publisher announced formally announced three new ongoing books centered around the various teams of the DC Universe: Legion of Super-Heroes, Teen Titans, and The Doom Patrol. All three books will be released wherever comics are sold on Wednesday, September 2nd, and are a part of the Next Level publishing initiative that has been launching new titles like Batwoman, Lobo, Deathstroke: The Terminator, Firestorm, Zatanna, Barbara Gordon: Breakout, and The Deadman throughout this year.

“These books are set in continuity,” DC co-architect Josh Williamson said in a statement. “While the series will be independent reads and not heavily tied to other books, they will exist alongside DC’s ongoing comic book series like Superman, Batman, Justice League Unlimited, and more.”

“The DC Next Level books are very new-reader friendly and will roll out over time,” DC co-architect Scott Snyder echoed. “Like the Absolute line, this is an initiative that welcomes new readers looking for a jumping-on spot for DC’s main line of comic books.”

What Is Legion of Super-Heroes About?

Legion of Super-Heroes, which was first teased during a panel at last year’s New York Comic Con, will be written by Williamson with art by critically-acclaimed Absolute Wonder Woman artist Hayden Sherman. The series’ 40-page debut issue will feature variant covers by Jim Lee, Mark Spears, Yasmine Putri, Hayden Sherman, and V Ken Marion. Dan Mora will also have a special variant cover with a cameo from Back to the Future actor Michael J. Fox.

According to DC’s official description for the series, “One thousand years after the Last Son of Krypton’s rocket crashed on the Kent Farm comes a new future inspired by the Man of Tomorrow! But this new future is in danger! Superheroes are outlawed! Deadly enforcers known as the Persuaders keep the populace of the United Planets in check! Worlds are at war! And this dark tomorrow’s last glimmer of hope, R.J. Brande, has been brutally murdered. Can the mysterious Brainiac 1 of 5 solve Brande’s murder? To restore hope to the universe, he must assemble a legion of gifted young rebels from across the cosmos! But they are scattered across the universe!”

“It was important the series was new reader friendly, while also honoring the stories of the past,” Williamson wrote in a series of posts on Twitter. “I merged elements from different Legions to build a new story that starts fresh and accessible. We’re taking it deeper into sci-fi and the weird. Unpredictable. Unexpected. I didn’t want to overload the cast with too many characters. I wanted to show the formation of the Legion. Introducing our team to show why we love them from the start. These kids, inspired by Superboy, live in a world that hates heroes. But their optimism & adventures bring them together against a common enemy while carrying Superman’s legacy into the future. Long Live the Legion.”

What Is Teen Titans About?

Teen Titans, which was announced among the initial Next Level wave, will be written by Kyle Higgins with art by Daniele Di Nicuolo, both of whom previously collaborated on Power Rangers: Shattered Grid. The first issue will feature a main cover by Di Nicuolo with variant covers by Dan Mora, Jim Cheung, Sanford Greene, and Hayden Sherman.

In the new Teen Titans series, when one of their own vanishes after attending a rally for Ascend—a fast-growing youth movement training kids to survive in a world shaped by superhuman conflict—Fairplay, Cheshire Cat, Proxy, and Wildcard will do whatever it takes to find their friend, including teaming up with Red Hood! Jason thinks they’re soft and reckless. They don’t understand how he can still kill people. Now they have to work together—whether they like it or not!

What Is The Doom Patrol About?

And finally, The Doom Patrol will be penned by Eisner-winning writer Darcy Van Poelgeest (Little Bird) with art by Niko Henrichon (Spectators, Pride of Baghdad). The first issue will have a main cover by Henrichon and variant covers by Clayton Crain, Ian Bertram, Ashley Wood, and Hayden Sherman.

In The Doom Patrol, “The Doom Patrol is broke. Adopting a heroes-for-hire business model to stave off financial and emotional ruin, the team finds itself responding to what seems like a simple case—a missing cat. But when this case proves to be far from simple, the world’s strangest heroes find themselves pulled into a truly out-of-this-world situation! And elsewhere, beyond the view of Robotman, Elasti-Girl, and Negative Man—and perhaps even beyond the veil of our reality—a ghost of the team’s past is preparing to cross into their world.”

These updates are a major new shift for the Next Level initiative — not only the confirmation that Sherman is illustrating Legion of Super-Heroes, but the creative team for The Doom Patrol being a complete surprise. Fans had previously theorized that the book would hail from the Absolute Martian Manhunter team of Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez, who are confirmed to be working together on another DC book that, in Camp’s words, they “couldn’t turn down.” Both Camp and Rodriguez are still listed among the list of Next Level creatives, and there are a few titles that have been teased without a creative team attached, such as Jonah Hex, The Demon, and Shadow of the Bat, so we’ll have to wait and see which book they’re ultimately involved with.

As mentioned above, Legion of Super-Heroes #1, Teen Titans #1, and The Doom Patrol #1 will all be released wherever comics are sold on Wednesday, September 2nd.

(featured image: DC)

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