Working in a vacuum for the last six months since I started working at DC, I looked forward to the September launch of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 with a mix of excitement and nervousness. How would readers respond to some of the more pivotal changes to their favorite characters, and this massive DC undertaking? And while working on these beloved characters and having a huge amount of fun shaping them into what they’ve become – in my case BATGIRL, GRIFTER, NIGHTWING, RED HOOD & THE OUTLAWS and TEEN TITANS – all of us in the editorial department have cringed and laughed over the speculation from the comics community at large.

Well, that general cry of “What the hell are they doing over at DC?” was answered two months ago at the launch, and here in month three I’m happy to report we’ve gotten into a nice groove with all the books – grooving on the excitement generated by new and old readers alike. There’s an amazing new energy emanating from the editorial offices. We’re talking about the books together, admiring what’s being done better and what’s being done BEST.

Just out of this week from my office are two books I’m particularly proud of – BATGIRL #3 and GRIFTER #3. Gail Simone and Ardian Syaf have crafted a wonderfully personal story in BATGIRL, giving you a hint of Batgirl’s past and her continuing struggles as a recovering paraplegic. And in GRIFTER, Nathan Edmondson and CAFU are creating a whole new world for the Grifter, filled with aliens and humans who all want the same thing: to get him, alive or dead. Including his own family, in this case. I hope the spotlights above and below will tempt you to pick up both books, if you haven’t planned to already.

– Bobbie Chase, Senior Editor

Hey DC Nation,

My first blog here, coming at you from the 6th floor of 1700 Broadway, home of the DC Comics’ Editorial Team. From my window I look down on the front of David Letterman’s Ed Sullivan Theater, where every afternoon the shouts of fans of a different kind can be heard. And out my door are the offices of my Bat-Group comrades who have made me feel so welcome; Mike Marts, Rachel Gluckstern, Rickey Purdin, Janelle Asselin, Harvey Richards and Katie Kubert. In other words, from where I sit, life looks good!

Some of you know, some of you don’t, I was a member of another comics editorial staff for years. A few people have asked me if it’s hard to go work for the “competition.” Huh? Half the faces I meet in the halls are people I’ve worked with before – half the creators, too! In fact, years ago, I did stints as assistant editor for current DCers Mike Carlin and Bob Harras. Sometimes it’s about the characters you love, but a lot of times it’s about the work. Putting together a fantastic creative team, helping to craft a terrific story line, working with an interesting, talented new writer or artist, messing with the lives of great characters… And with the DC Universe, there are a LOT of great characters to mess with.

I thought, when I started two weeks ago, that I was going to have a few weeks to learn stuff, keep my mouth shut, absorb the ways of the new co., but instead they threw me into the deep end of the pool. What might that pool include? Well … more next time about the projects I’ll be working on. For the moment, they’re a bit hush-hush.

Now back to catching up on a few years’ worth of continuity…

Bobbie Chase