DC Comics feels like its dropped the gauntlet down at today’s Diamond Retailer Summit before C2E2 as they announced a new line of books called Dark Matter that emphasizes artists along with writers, with a whole bunch of new characters. The initiative comes after Marvel was criticized for saying artists don’t sell books. At the announcement were Jim Lee, John Romita, Jr. and Andy Kubert.

The initiative comes out of the company’s latest creator summit and fills what they thought was missing from comics and was a chance to “create something different than maybe fans of this generation hadn’t see before.”

The line kicks off in August with Dark Nights: Metal which will be written by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, the duo who gave a shot in the arm to Batman and made his series consistently one of DC’s best selling comics. That comic is the launching pad for the rest of the line.

One series is Sideways about a teleporting teenager who was changed during those events. It will be co-written by Justin Jordan and Dan DiDio with art by Kenneth Rocafort. Also launching is The Silencer written by Dan Abnett and drawn by John Romita, Jr. That series is about Honor Guest, the former world’s deadliest assassin trying to live a quiet life in the suburbs before her former life comes back to haunt her. Both of those debut in September.

October sees the launch of Immortal Men by James Tynion IV and Jim Lee. The story is about five immortal siblings who operate in the shadows to recruit individuals to prevent Armageddon. That month also sees Damage written by Robert Venditti with art by Tony S. Daniel. In that series army recruit Ethan Avery is granted the power to unleash an unstoppable monster for one hour at a time.

finally, New Challengers debuts in December written by Snyder with art by Andy Kubert. The comic is a reboot of the classic Challengers of the Unknown with a “new cast” and “new mission.”

At the event Lee said more talent and series would be coming down the road later this year.