DC's WTF Covers

Beginning around April, DC is doing... well... something... Things that'll make you go "WTF?" with regards to their covers...

In an interview with CBR and DC chief editor Bob Harras and editorial director Bobbie Chase the following exchange took place:

There's also some sort of unnamed event in April that will feature a lot of the April covers having "shocking" moments for their lead characters. What's going on with that?

Harras: That is going to be on all the New 52 covers. It is part of, as we explained earlier, the theme of game-changing, upping the stakes for our heroes. This was a way to accentuate that threat or shocking moments in our heroes' lives. What we're doing with the covers is thematically linked to that. They will be page-fold covers; the covers will tell you a story. There will be an image that will crack the page fold, and as you open up the cover, you'll say, "Oh, wow!"

Chase: You might even say, "What the F?" [Laughs]

And it appears that this WTF cover campaign will begin with a special issue of Batman Detective Comics:

"Detective Comics," though it was renumbered, would have reached issue #900 in April. I understand you guys are doing something special for that with John Layman -- what does that special milestone issue entail? 

Harras: I don't want to go into too many details of what John and Jason Faybook are planning there. The concept of the number 900 is important to the story. It's something that I think will take people a little bit by surprise of what it is, but it is the theme of the issue. It's what Batman has to face. It's definitely part of the story in a big way.

Chase: You can say that there's a group called the 900!

Harras: Ok, you can say that! [Laughter]

CBR reported later with a reveal of the special Detective Comics #900 cover concept with the following:

"As for the entire "WTF" stunt, the E-i-C described the move as exploring "the theme of game-changing, upping the stakes for our heroes. This was a way to accentuate that threat or shocking moments in our heroes' lives. What we're doing with the covers is thematically linked to that. They will be page-fold covers; the covers will tell you a story. There will be an image that will crack the page fold, and as you open up the cover, you'll say, 'Oh, wow!'"

Seems like an oversell of what are pretty much gate-fold covers... but who knows? Maybe Detective Comics #900 isn't the most exciting one.  Maybe there'll be some truly 'WTF' worthy covers in the future... Like we will look on the back of the next Batman and instead of Man-Bat we'll see Spider-Man, or Adventure Time, or a picture of Garth Ennis eating a hot dog, or an actual advertisement, who knows? I'd be surprised! And if you're also getting excited for the endless possibilities, don't forget to pre-order!