Piggybacking on the success of weekly comic series '52,' DC Comics announced at NYCC that they will begin a new weekly series once '52' has finished its run, according to ICv2. The new series will begin with issue #51 and count down to issue #0. (It is unknown what will happen if the book is cancelled before the end of the run. Possibly a lot of mockery from Marvel fans.) The book will be run by long-time fan favorite writer Paul Dini, who is currently helming 'Detective Comics.' Dini is best known for his work on the award-winning Batman: The Animated Series, and the creation of the zany villain Harley Quinn.

DC Editor in Chief Dan Didio: "COUNTDOWN ... will act as a spine for the DC Universe, and will be reflective of the events taking place across the DCU, month by month as the series progresses.

"With Paul, given his background, expertise and knowledge of the DC Universe, he's the best choice for this, because he has a way to separate the voices of the characters in the book, and be able to pace the story properly. He's taking a lot of what he's done over the years in animation and applying it to the production process in building this weekly comic."

'52' is DC's first foray into weekly comic publishing, and it has proven an interesting ride. Taking place on the one year timespan between 'Infinite Crisis' and the current books (referred to as 'One Year Later' or OYL), the book allows minor and underused characters in the DC pantheon to shine, while dealing with intertwining plotlines leading up to something big for the return of the Big Three. If 'Countdown' turns out as well as its predecessor, fans should be in for a treat.